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Senior RSF commanders defect, citing family control of Sudan's paramilitary

Senior RSF commanders defect, citing family control of Sudan's paramilitary

Force in Play

Five commanders have left the Rapid Support Forces in 2026, several taking hundreds of fighters with them.

Yesterday: Siddiq Ander defects, alleging family control

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Major General Siddiq Ander announced Friday that he was leaving Sudan's Rapid Support Forces. In video obtained by Al Jazeera, he said the paramilitary is run as a family business by relatives of its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

Ander is the fifth senior commander to defect in 2026. Past departures have given the Sudanese army knowledge of troop positions and supply routes, and the army has retaken ground after commanders switched sides.

Why it matters

Each defection strips the Rapid Support Forces of commanders who know its supply lines, giving the army openings on the battlefield.

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Key Indicators

5
Senior RSF commanders reported to defect in 2026
Includes al-Nour Guba, Ali Rizqallah, Al-Tayeb al-Wahidu, Mohammed al-Fanjari and Siddiq Ander.
300
Troops who left with al-Fanjari
The special tasks commander crossed with about 300 officers and soldiers and 30 vehicles.
13 million
People displaced by the war
Al Jazeera reports the conflict has displaced about 13 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine.
6,000
Killings documented in El Fasher in three days
A UN human rights office recorded more than 6,000 killings from October 25 to 27, 2025.

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People Involved

SA
Siddiq Abdelrahman Ander
Major General, former commander of RSF Group 15
Defected from the RSF on October 30, 2026
 Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”)
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”)
Leader of the Rapid Support Forces
Commands the RSF; faces defections from senior officers
AD
Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo
RSF deputy commander; Hemedti's brother
Accused by a defected commander of overseeing El Fasher operations
 Al-Nour Ahmed Adam
Al-Nour Ahmed Adam
Major General, former RSF commander
Defected to the Sudanese army in April 2026
MA
Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari
Lieutenant Colonel, former special tasks commander
Defected to the army on October 8, 2026

Organizations Involved

Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
Paramilitary group
Losing senior commanders to defections

Sudan's paramilitary force, fighting the national army for control of the country since April 2023.
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)
National military
Receiving defecting RSF commanders

Sudan's national army, at war with the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.

Timeline

April 2023 October 2026

9 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Siddiq Ander defects, alleging family control

    Latest Defection

    The Group 15 commander says Hemedti's relatives control money, weapons and promotions.

  2. Drone strikes hit Nyala market

    Conflict

    More than 100 deaths are reported after strikes on the RSF-held city in South Darfur.

  3. Ex-commander accuses RSF deputy of El Fasher atrocities

    Statement

    Al-Nour Guba says Abdelrahim Dagalo oversaw the campaign in North Darfur.

  4. Special tasks commander defects with 300 troops

    Defection

    Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari crosses to the army with 30 vehicles and urges others to leave.

  5. Al-Tayeb al-Wahidu joins the army with 50 fighters

    Defection

    He defects in Omdurman, citing abuses within the RSF.

  6. Brigadier Ali Rizqallah leaves the RSF

    Defection

    The commander known as Savannah announces his departure.

  7. Major General al-Nour Guba defects to the army

    Defection

    The former third-ranking commander reaches army territory with officers, soldiers and vehicles.

  8. RSF captures El Fasher after 18-month siege

    Conflict

    A UN office later documents more than 6,000 killings in three days during the final assault.

  9. War erupts between Sudan's army and RSF

    Conflict

    A dispute over integrating the paramilitary into the regular military turns into open war.

Scenarios

1

Another senior RSF commander defects before mid-2027

Likely Resolves by Apr 30, 2027

Discussed by: Military analysts cited by Al Jazeera, who expect army gains in Kordofan and Blue Nile to push more commanders to leave

Each departure reveals supply routes and troop positions to the army, which has retaken ground after past defections. If the pattern holds, at least one more commander of brigadier rank or above announces a defection.

2

RSF retaliates against communities tied to defectors

Possible Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Security expert Ibrahim Abdel Qader, who warned that past defections were followed by revenge attacks on villages

Previous defections have sometimes been followed by RSF attacks on the home areas of commanders who left. A documented strike on a defector-linked community would fit that pattern.

3

RSF tightens control and the defection wave stalls

Possible Resolves by Apr 30, 2027

Discussed by: RSF-aligned media officials, who downplayed the latest defection and described tighter security measures

The RSF has monitored commanders' communications, cut field commanders' authority, restricted fuel and equipment, and set checkpoints on routes to army territory. If those measures work, no further senior commander leaves.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2024

Abu Aqila Keikel's defection (2024)

The RSF commander in Al Jazeera state, Abu Aqila Keikel, defected to the Sudanese army in October 2024. His departure opened the state to army advances.

Then

The army regained ground in Al Jazeera state after the commander switched sides.

Now

The case became the reference point for how a single senior defection can shift a front.

Why this matters now

It shows why the current wave matters: commanders carry maps of troop positions and supply routes with them.

April 2023

The April 2023 integration dispute

War broke out after a power struggle between the army and the RSF over plans to fold the paramilitary into the regular military. The conflict has since displaced about 13 million people.

Then

Fighting spread across the country and split the military command.

Now

The integration question remains unresolved, and the war has pushed parts of the country into famine.

Why this matters now

The defections are the reverse of that origin: commanders are now choosing the army side of the split.

Sources

(4)
Al Jazeera Ajel Sudan Now Al Jazeera Net