Musa Hilal Survives Drone Assassination Attempt in North Darfur Stronghold

22 February 2026

Tribal leader Musa Hilal accuses RSF deputy commander of seeking to divide his tribal clan, on Feb 14, 2026

February 22, 2026 (MISTERIYA, North Darfur) – Mahameed tribal leader Musa Hilal survived an assassination attempt by a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drone targeting his guest house in North Darfur on Sunday, according to the Revolutionary Awakening Council (RAC).

The RSF has recently mobilized forces near Misteriya, a key stronghold for Hilal, amid expectations of an offensive in the area this week.

The RAC said in a statement that the Misteriya region was subjected to intensive shelling by RSF militia drones on Sunday evening. It confirmed that Hilal was unharmed and dismissed reports of his death as groundless.

The council said the shelling hit three locations, including a local hospital that was struck by three missiles. The strikes also hit Hilal’s guest house and private residences.

One strike reportedly hit a funeral gathering while mourners were paying their respects. A spokesperson for the group condemned the attack as barbaric and cowardly.

Sources told Sudan Tribune that the shelling killed several RAC leaders. Hilal’s son was among those injured when a strike targeted them during a Ramadan iftar meal.

Relations have been strained between the RSF and Hilal, who has backed the Sudanese army for several months.

Tensions escalated after Hilal was accused of involvement in the death of RSF advisor Hamid Ali Abu Bakr earlier this year. After denying the allegations before a tribal committee, Hilal accused RSF commander Abdelrahim Dagalo of attempting to dismantle the Mahameed tribe.

The RSF recently sponsored a tribal gathering to appoint new leadership for the Mahameed. The move triggered a rift among RSF fighters, many of whom have since travelled to Misteriya to support their traditional leader.

The current hostilities mark a final breakdown in a relationship that has fluctuated between alliance and open warfare for over two decades. Hilal, a prominent figure in the Darfur conflict that began in 2003, was once the primary leader of the Janjaweed militias used by the former government to suppress rebels.

However, a power struggle emerged as Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti, rose to prominence with the formalization of the RSF.

In 2017, the rivalry turned violent when Hemedti’s forces captured Hilal in Misteriya following his refusal to participate in a government-mandated weapons collection program. Hilal remained in detention for several years until his release in early 2021.

Since the outbreak of the war between the Sudanese army and the RSF in April 2023, Hilal has maintained a complex position, eventually declaring his support for the military and denouncing the RSF as a “foreign-backed militia.”

The rift has profound implications for the RSF’s internal stability. Many of the RSF’s elite fighters are drawn from the Mahameed branch of the Rizeigat tribe, and Hilal’s influence as their traditional leader remains significant.

Observers suggest that the RSF’s attempts to replace Hilal with a more compliant tribal leadership are intended to curb mass defections from its ranks as the war enters its third year.