A senior commander in Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) says he has defected, alleging the paramilitary group is run as a family project by relatives of its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Siddiq Ander said he had defected, according to exclusive video footage obtained by Al Jazeera, which shows him accusing relatives of Dagalo, known as 'Hemedti', of controlling the group's finances, weapons, troop movements and military promotions.
'It has become clear to us beyond any doubt that we were serving a purely family-based project controlled by Hemedti's relatives in every aspect, money, weapons, fighters' movements and the granting of ranks,' Ander said. 'Anyone who speaks out and tells the whole truth faces expulsion, imprisonment or a hidden death.'
Sudan's war erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the army and the RSF, including disagreements over plans to integrate the paramilitary group into the regular military. The conflict has displaced about 13 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine.
Ander's exit follows a string of high-profile defections this year. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari announced on October 8 that he was leaving, along with 300 officers and soldiers and 30 military vehicles. Al-Fanjari urged other fighters to abandon the RSF, expressing regret over the suffering caused by the war. Al-Tayeb al-Wahidu defected on September 25, joining the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with 50 fighters in Omdurman, citing abuses within the RSF as his reason. Brigadier Ali Rizqallah announced his departure in May, and Major General al-Nour Ahmed Adam joined the SAF in April, where he was publicly welcomed by Sudanese leader and military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The latest defections come as both sides increasingly use drones in attacks that have caused mounting civilian casualties. On October 26, strikes hit a market and residential area in Nyala, an RSF-controlled city in South Darfur. Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group, reported more than 100 deaths, although other medical organisations recorded lower figures. The United Nations says drone strikes have become the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan's war.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The defection of a senior commander highlights growing internal fractures within the RSF, potentially weakening its military cohesion.
- A sustained wave of defections could shift the balance of power in Sudan's devastating civil war towards the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
- The conflict has already created a massive humanitarian catastrophe, with 13 million displaced and famine spreading, and any change in leadership dynamics affects prospects for peace.
Background
Sudan's civil war began in April 2023 between the SAF and the RSF, a powerful paramilitary group that grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militia. The war erupted after a breakdown in talks over integrating the RSF into the regular armed forces. The fighting has destroyed infrastructure, triggered extreme food insecurity, and created one of the world's worst displacement crises.
Key Perspectives
- Siddiq Ander: Accused the RSF of being a “purely family-based project” run by relatives of leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, claiming those who speak out face expulsion, imprisonment or death.
- Sudanese Armed Forces: Has welcomed senior RSF defectors, including Major General al-Nour Ahmed Adam, who was publicly received by military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
What to Watch
- Whether the defections accelerate into a broader collapse of RSF morale and mass desertions from frontline units.
- The role of drone warfare, which the UN has identified as the leading cause of civilian deaths, as both sides increasingly rely on aerial attacks.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedA senior RSF commander defected over allegations of nepotism.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “RSF senior commander defects, accusing Sudan group’s leadership of nepotism.”
- Partly supportedAnder warns that critics face expulsion or death.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““Anyone who speaks out and tells the whole truth faces expulsion, imprisonment or a hidden death.””
- SupportedAnder said he had defected, according to exclusive video footage obtained by Al Jazeera.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Senior commander Siddiq Ander says he has defected from Sudan ‘s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to exclusive video footage obtained by Al Jazeera.”
- SupportedAnder said the group was a family-based project controlled by Hemedti’s relatives.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““It has become clear to us beyond any doubt that we were serving a purely family-based project controlled by Hemedti’s relatives in every aspect, money, weapons, fighters’ movements and the granting of ranks,” Ander said.”
- SupportedAnder accused Hemedti’s relatives of controlling the RSF’s finances, weapons, troop movements and military promotions.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The footage, published on Friday, shows Ander accusing relatives of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”, of tightly controlling the group’s finances, weapons, troop movements and military promotions.”
- SupportedSudan’s war erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and the RSF, including disagreements over plans to integrate the RSF into the regular military.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and the RSF, including disagreements over plans to integrate the paramilitary group into the regular military.”
- SupportedThe conflict has displaced about 13 million people.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The conflict has since displaced about 13 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine.”
- SupportedAl-Fanjari announced on October 8 that he was leaving with 300 officers and soldiers and 30 military vehicles.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari, who announced on October 8 that he was leaving, along with 300 officers and soldiers and 30 military vehicles.”
- SupportedAl-Wahidu defected on September 25, joining the SAF with 50 fighters in Omdurman and citing abuses within the RSF.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “His announcement came after the September 25 defection of Al-Tayeb al-Wahidu, who joined the enemy Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with 50 fighters in Omdurman, across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum, according to The Sudan Tribune. Al-Wahidu cited abuses within the RSF as his reason for leaving.”
- SupportedOn October 26, strikes hit a market and residential area in Nyala.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “On October 26, strikes hit a market and residential area in Nyala, an RSF-controlled city in South Darfur.”
- SupportedEmergency Lawyers reported more than 100 deaths, while other medical organisations recorded lower figures.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group, reported more than 100 deaths, although other medical organisations recorded lower figures.”
- SupportedThe United Nations says drone strikes have become the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan’s war.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The United Nations says drone strikes have become the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan’s war.”