RSF-appointed Kordofan governor defected, resigns in TV statement

August 12, 2026 (RIYADH) – The Rapid Support Forces-appointed governor of Sudan’s Kordofan region, Hamad Mohammad Hamad Khalifa, announced his defection and resignation on Wednesday.

Khalifa announced his departure during a live interview with Saudi television channel Al Arabiya.

The RSF appointed Khalifa last year as governor of Kordofan and as a member of the presidential council for the government formed by the Tasis coalition.

Khalifa said Sudanese people had no choice but to unite against what he called outlaw militias, accusing the paramilitary RSF of stoking tribal, civil and ethnic conflict.

He called for the return of legitimate state institutions to the Kordofan and Darfur regions.

He said the Tasis government served only as a political cover for RSF actions, accusing it of failure, complicity and ignoring international calls for restraint.

Khalifa described conditions for civilians in RSF-controlled areas as heartbreaking, accusing the force of destroying cities and killing non-combatants.

The defection comes amid a growing wave of departures among RSF political and field leaders, alongside military personnel who have joined the Sudanese army.

High-profile figures who recently left the group include senior political advisor and Khartoum governor Fares Al-Nour Ibrahim, Major General Al-Nour Ahmad Adam, commander Ali Rizqallah, and Bara operational chief Bishara Al-Huwaira.