A joint investigation by Radio Dabanga and Bellingcat has revealed a disturbing trend in Sudan's ongoing civil war, where young boys, widely referred to as "lion cubs," have become celebrated figures within the rival groups fighting for control since 2023. These child soldiers, linked to both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), have gained significant viral fame on TikTok, with their videos attracting millions of views. The content frequently depicts children in military uniforms posing with fighters and senior officials, celebrating battlefield victories, delivering motivational speeches, and making violent threats. In some instances, the children are visibly armed. Child soldier experts warn that the high visibility and popularity of such content, which portrays fighting as normal, celebrated, and aspirational, risks encouraging the recruitment of more young people into the conflict. According to the Paris Principles, to which Sudan is a state party, a child soldier is defined as any person under 18 recruited or used by an armed force or group in any capacity.

The investigation focused on two prominent "lion cubs" from opposing sides to understand how this content circulates, primarily on TikTok, despite platform rules restricting content involving the exploitation and militarisation of children. These children are honored as heroes by armed groups and their supporters, with their content being re-shared across hundreds of TikTok accounts, some boasting millions of followers. Bellingcat geolocated multiple TikTok videos showing an RSF "lion cub," appearing to be a young teenager, celebrating the capture of the 22nd infantry division SAF base in Babanusa, West Kordofan, in early December 2025. These pro-RSF videos garnered millions of views. In a TikTok video posted on January 1, 2026, the child responded to social media comments about his potential death, stating, "The person who dies is as if he has paid his debt." This video, along with another that had over two million views, was removed by TikTok following Bellingcat’s inquiry. However, the audio from the latter was reused in over 200 additional videos, including AI-generated clips depicting the child alongside senior RSF figures like Hemedti and Abu Lulu, the latter sanctioned by the US Treasury Department on February 19 for actions in El Fasher. Another video from the Babanusa takeover showed the RSF cub mocking captured SAF soldiers and leading chants. On December 5, 2025, he was celebrated by RSF commander Salih Al-Foti, who praised him as a "hero Al-Shibli" for his presence on the battlefield, though Al-Foti denied RSF recruits children, claiming voluntary appearances. Al-Foti, promoted to Major General on January 10, 2026, was previously accused in a 2023 UN report of leading forces that intentionally killed civilians. El Basha Tebeig, an RSF media representative, denied the Babanusa incident involved child soldiers, attributing the child's presence to a celebratory atmosphere with his father and framing allegations as efforts by hostile political actors.

Conversely, a viral SAF child soldier, appearing younger than his RSF counterpart, commanded over 700,000 TikTok followers. His account, named "Shibli," even solicited advertising inquiries. His videos, unlike the RSF cub’s frontline footage, were meticulously staged, featuring him in SAF uniform, alongside armed soldiers and senior military figures in ceremonial settings. One TikTok video, viewed nearly nine million times, showed him reciting a poem mocking RSF leader Hemedti. In another, with four million views, he delivered a speech affirming Sudan's unity. He appeared with senior government figures, including Sudan's Minister of Culture and Information, Khaled El Aiser, declaring in a video with over seven million views, "Our age does not allow us to take part in the war... Yet we wish to go to the front lines... We are small children, but in anger we are like a volcano: we erupt and kill every traitor and coward." He also appeared with Minni Minawi, leader of the largest faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army, and Maj Gen Abu Agla Keikel, a former RSF commander who defected to the SAF. Retired Brigadier Kamal Ismail Ahmed, a former senior SAF officer, asserted that the army's laws strictly prohibit child recruitment (under 18) and described these cases as "recruitment through deception" due to a "collapse within the state.".

While less active and popular, with around 7,000 followers each, the Facebook pages of both child soldiers showed them carrying weapons. An April 2025 video on the SAF "lion cub's" Facebook page depicted him with an assault rifle, threatening the RSF, and later near a destroyed tank in Khartoum, declaring the city liberated. The RSF "lion cub's" Facebook story in December 2025 showed him posing with a light machine gun and ammunition belts.

Experts highlight how this content encourages recruitment. Michael Wessells, a professor at Columbia University, explained that public celebration, bestowing names like "lion cubs," and honoring their "warrior nature" directly encourage children to join. Mia Bloom, a professor at Georgia State University, likened them to "Disney child stars," whose fame creates powerful role models and a "copycat effect," legitimizing violence and presenting it as aspirational. Dr. Gina Vale noted that depicting armed children at combat scenes is highly effective propaganda, designed to be shocking and emotive while conveying power over future generations.

These findings align with longstanding concerns about child soldier recruitment in Sudan. The 2023 UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking warned that impoverished children were targeted by the RSF. The UN Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan reported in October 2024 that the RSF had "systematically recruited and used children," while the SAF had credible reports of children joining "popular mobilization" groups. In January 2026, UN High Commissioner Volker Türk expressed deep alarm at the increasing militarisation, including child recruitment. Reuters also documented 23 incidents of abduction of at least 56 children by the RSF and allied militias since 2023.

Social media platforms have been criticized for falling short. TikTok’s Community Guidelines prohibit content that glorifies violence or promotes crimes, and its Youth Safety policies forbid content harmful to young people. Marwa Fatafta, a tech policy expert, stated the content violates multiple TikTok policies, including human trafficking rules, as using child soldiers can be a war crime. Facebook's Human Exploitation policy similarly prohibits child soldier recruitment. Sarah T. Roberts of UCLA suggested that child soldier content receives less regulatory scrutiny than child sexual exploitation material, leading to deprioritization by platforms. Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative to Sudan, stressed platforms' obligation for effective content moderation. Bellingcat reported 12 TikTok accounts and 2 viral audios. After 48 hours and an email inquiry, TikTok removed seven accounts, including those of the child soldiers, and both audios. However, five accounts remained active, with some specific posts removed. TikTok stated 98.2% of violating content was removed proactively. Meta (Facebook) also removed reported content after an inquiry, referencing a 2025 safety messaging campaign. Despite these actions, one week after Bellingcat's outreach, more than a dozen posts featuring the "lion cubs" remained accessible across both platforms by simply searching for the boys' names, underscoring persistent enforcement challenges.