Senior RSF commander in North Darfur defects to the Sudanese army
April 11, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – A prominent commander in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as “Al-Nour Guba,” defected to the Sudanese army on Saturday, according to multiple sources.
This move marks the latest high-profile departure from the paramilitary group that currently controls most of the Darfur region. Guba was a central figure in the RSF offensive on El Fasher in North Darfur, fighting alongside Gedo Abunshouk and the late Ali Yaqoub.
Sources told Sudan Tribune that Guba, who holds the rank of major general, chose to join the army following internal friction. The tension reportedly escalated after the RSF leadership appointed Abunshouk as the military commander of North Darfur instead of Guba following the fall of El Fasher on Oct. 26, 2025.
Guba previously headed the “Peace Shield” mobile force. This unit was established in January 2021 to provide civilian protection in Darfur following the exit of the UN-AU peacekeeping mission (UNAMID).
Following the takeover of El Fasher, Guba withdrew with his loyalist forces to Damrat Guba near Kutum. Sources suggest that influential tribal leader Musa Hilal, who heads the Mahameed clan, played a significant role in pressuring Guba to break ties with the RSF.
Hilal recently relocated to Khartoum after surviving an assassination attempt and the subsequent RSF raid on his stronghold in Mistariha last February. Close associates of Hilal confirmed Guba’s defection but noted he remains in a sensitive location near RSF-controlled territory.
Ali Rizqallah, a senior RSF field commander known as “Savannah,” confirmed the grievances in an audio recording. He claimed that Guba had been neglected by the leadership in Kutum for four months and was forced to request basic supplies from junior officers who were related to the RSF’s top command.
Savannah criticized the internal administration of the RSF, citing “white intestines” favouritism toward the leader’s family. He highlighted a growing vacuum characterized by supply shortages and discriminatory treatment regarding the medical care of wounded personnel.
Retired Major General Ahmed Abdel Rahim Shukratullah stated that Guba defected with 136 fully equipped combat vehicles. Shukratullah, an early Janjaweed architect, described the defection as a “painful blow” that would severely disrupt the paramilitary’s morale and tactical balance.
The shift mirrors the 2024 defection of Abu Agla Keikel, whose departure from the RSF facilitated the army’s regaining of territory in Gezira State. Observers suggest such high-level desertions continue to be a primary driver of structural instability within Sudanese armed factions.