Sudanese army reports first defection of commander from rival RSF

Sudan’s army announced on Sunday that a senior commander from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has defected, bringing his troops to side with the army, Reuters reports.

This marks the first reported instance of a high-ranking RSF official switching sides since the ongoing conflict erupted over 18 months ago.

The defector, identified by Sudanese Army supporters online as Abuagla Keikal, is a former army officer who rose to become a top commander in the RSF, specifically in El Gezira, a southeastern state of Sudan.

The RSF confirmed Keikal’s defection, attributing it to a "deal" brokered after his forces experienced heavy losses. However, the army disputed this claim, stating that Keikal left the RSF due to its "destructive agenda," according to Reuters.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have recently made significant advances against the RSF in the capital, Khartoum.

The RSF and SAF, both accused of committing war crimes by the U.S., have been locked in a power struggle for years. Renewed fighting broke out in April 2023, leading to over 20,000 deaths and displacing more than 10 million people fleeing violence and famine. The UN has called the situation “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history.”