| Popular Defence Forces قوات الدفاع الشعبي | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Popular Defence Forces | |
| Active | 1989–2019, 2023-present |
| Country |  Sudan |
| Allegiance | National Congress (formerly the National Islamic Front) |
| Type | Paramilitary Auxiliary force Reserve army |
| Role | Reserve army Light infantry |
| Size | 95,000 |
| Engagements | Second Sudanese Civil War War in Darfur War in Sudan (2023-present) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Ali Ahmed Karti (Commander in the 1990s) |
The Popular Defence Forces (PDF, Arabic: قوات الدفاع الشعبي, romanized: Qūwāt al-Difāʻ al-Shaʻbī) are a Sudanese paramilitary force. It was initially formed in the mid-1980s to safeguard and protect Arab tribes in Sudan from rebel attacks during the Second Sudanese Civil War, and as an auxiliary force to support the Sudanese military that was overstretched and demoralized during the civil war. The PDF was officially established in 1989 under the Popular Defense Forces Act of 1989[1]
- ^ John Pike. "Sudan - Popular Defense Force". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2015-10-27.