Senior paramilitary commander defects to Sudan army

A high-profile Rapid Support Forces commander defected to Sudan’s military in the Northern Province near the Egyptian border, Associated Press reported on 20 April, in a move that may signal divisions within the paramilitary group as the war entered its fourth year.

Major General al-Nour Ahmed Adam, also known as “al-Qubba”, left the RSF earlier this month and joined the army along with dozens of fighters and equipment.

Army chief Abdel-Fattah Burhan welcomed Adam during a meeting in northern Sudan, according to a statement from the ruling sovereign council and said the army remained open to those willing to lay down arms to support national reconstruction.

Footage released by the council showed Adam alongside soldiers who had left the paramilitary group with him.

The RSF is yet to comment on the defection.

Adam fled RSF-controlled areas in Darfur earlier this month and crossed into army-held territory after leaving the paramilitary group. He was previously based in the Darfur region, where fighting has been among the most intense.

His departure followed disputes within the RSF leadership, including disagreements over command positions in North Darfur after RSF forces seized control of El-Fasher in October, which had been the army’s last stronghold in the region.

Adam is one of the most senior officers to defect from the paramilitary group since the conflict began, according to Africanews. His defection comes as fighting continues across multiple regions with no clear resolution.

Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 as a power struggle between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo escalated into fighting in Khartoum and other regions across the country.

The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced millions, with aid groups warning of severe humanitarian conditions and famine in parts of the country.

Associated Press, Africanews, Maghrebi.org