Hemetti sentences defector Al-Safna to death in absentia after stripping him of rank

 May 21, Khartoum  — Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” has ratified an in absentia death sentence against defected Brigadier General Ali Rizqallah, known as “Al-Safna,” after a field court convicted him of desertion and rebellion against the constitutional order, according to an internal RSF directive issued on Wednesday.

The directive, signed by Omar Hamdan, head of the RSF’s Administrative Department, and addressed to all RSF departments and sectors, stated that Hemetti had endorsed a ruling issued by the Grand Field Court on 17 May, sentencing Al-Safna — in absentia — to demotion to the rank of private soldier, dismissal from service, and execution.

The directive said Al-Safna was found guilty of abandoning military positions, assisting and joining what it described as “the enemy,” rebelling against the constitutional order, and fleeing from service.

Al-Safna announced his defection from the RSF on 11 May, publicly condemning the force’s leadership. He arrived in Khartoum on 15 May and declared his intention to fight alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces in Kordofan and beyond to Darfur.

Before his defection, Al-Safna was one of the RSF’s most prominent field commanders, having led forces in operations in North Darfur and played a key role in the RSF’s seizure of Al-Nahud and consolidation of its presence in West Kordofan.

The RSF’s response mirrors its reaction to the earlier defection of Major General Al-Nour Al-Qubba, whom the force also stripped of his rank and declared wanted for prosecution after he broke ranks and was received by Sovereignty Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in April.