RSF Defections Erode Combat Core as Tribal Rifts and Battlefield Losses Deepen Internal Crisis

May 19, Nyala — A wave of defections from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has shaken the paramilitary group’s ranks in recent months, with analysts and military experts saying the departures are taking a measurable toll on its battlefield capabilities and internal cohesion after nearly three years of war against the Sudanese Armed Forces.

The most prominent defection came in April, when Major General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as “Al-Nour Al-Qubba” — described as the RSF’s third-ranking field commander — broke ranks and was formally received by Sovereignty Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Sources inside the RSF told Sudan Tribune that Al-Qubba had been placed under surveillance by the RSF leadership following the fall of El Fasher in October 2025, after his communications with a senior security official and a Sovereignty Council member were intercepted, leading to his questioning before he eventually chose to leave.

Ali Rizqallah Al-Savana speaks in press conference in Khartoum on May 16, 2026

In May, Brigadier General Ali Rizqallah, known as “Al-Safna,” announced his own defection and joined the army. Earlier defectors include field commander Bishara Al-Huwaira, who left in January, and Abu Aqla Kaikal — commander of Sudan Shield Forces — who defected in October 2024 and has since fought alongside the army in Gezira, Khartoum, and Kordofan.

Tribal fractures

Crisis management expert Brigadier General Amin Ismail, of the Centre for Research and Strategic Studies, told Sudan Tribune that the RSF’s attack on the Mustaraha pastoral area in North Darfur in February was a turning point. The assault, which targeted the home territory of Musa Hilal — paramount chief of the Mahariya clan from which many RSF commanders originate — triggered the defections of Al-Qubba and Al-Safna, both of whom belong to the Mahariya.

“The attack on Mustaraha was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Amin said, adding that grievances over medical care, salaries, and the favouring of Mahariya rivals over other tribal groups had further deepened discontent. He warned that the current trajectory could give rise to intra-tribal civil conflict distinct from the existing armed insurgency, which would seriously undermine the RSF’s influence over allied communities.

Sudan analyst Mohieddin Mohamed Mohieddin told Sudan Tribune that the defections are not isolated incidents but reflect deep structural fractures within the RSF, which had relied heavily on the Mahariya and Mahariya sub-groups as its core fighting base. He noted that many of the defecting commanders brought their own forces with them — fighters who had received professional training, including in operations outside Sudan — making their departure a significant qualitative loss.

“The RSF has begun to crack from within,” Mohieddin said. “The harder core is gone. What remains are less-trained elements who will be less effective, especially in offensive operations.”

He also noted that the defections are deepening the isolation of the Dagalo family, which controls the RSF leadership, and predicted that other tribal communities — including some Misseriya factions in Kordofan who feel politically marginalised — may follow.

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as “Hemetti,” delivering a video statement, January 31, 2025.

Mutual exhaustion

Retired Colonel Mohammed Nour, Secretary-General of the Tadamon Central High Command, offered a broader reading of the situation, arguing that both parties to the conflict have reached a stage of mutual exhaustion. He said the defections reflect the RSF’s difficulty sustaining its political and social support base, which any militia relies on to continue fighting.

Nour said the defections carry a significant morale cost for the RSF but acknowledged they could also help clarify internal factional lines. On the operational level, he cautioned that the impact of losing individual commanders may be limited in areas where the RSF is conducting defensive rather than offensive operations, which require less firepower density.

He nonetheless said that the warm official reception given to defectors in Khartoum could encourage further departures among those with weaker loyalty to the RSF leadership.