Fresh RSF defection to Sudanese army sparks outrage over Darfur war crimes
August 19, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – A unit of more than 300 fighters from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has defected to the national army, sparking fierce condemnation from allied groups over allegations its commander took part in atrocities in North Darfur.
The contingent, led by Brigadier General Musa Khamiseen, crossed from North Darfur to Al Dabbah in Northern State under military intelligence escort, then moved to Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum.
The move comes amid a wave of RSF defections following months of heavy fighting across Sudan, but the welcoming of Khamiseen has drawn sharp criticism from Darfuri armed movements allied with the army.
Darfur combatants and rights advocates accuse Khamiseen of direct involvement in summary executions and civilian killings during the siege and capture of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, late last year.
Al-Nour Al-Qubbah, a senior former RSF figure who defected earlier in the war, received the group in Omdurman alongside dozens of armed vehicles.
Al-Qubbah publicly welcomed the fighters and urged remaining RSF personnel across Darfur and Kordofan to lay down their arms and join the military, framing the defections as a necessary step toward ending the conflict.
Khamiseen said in a statement that his unit chose to join the armed forces to help stabilize the country, adding that further groups were preparing to switch sides.
The defection has caused significant friction within the pro-army alliance. Former rebel fighters who defended El Fasher until its fall said Khamiseen operated as a key field commander on the city’s southern front, where severe rights violations occurred.
Waleed Manqash, a fighter present during the siege, said Khamiseen took part in killings near an earthen barricade known as the Tartoar and was filmed alongside Al-Fateh Abu Lulu, an RSF commander notorious for recording himself carrying out summary executions.
Manqash also accused Khamiseen’s men of ambushing fleeing civilians along the Arba’een desert corridor, extorting displaced families east of El Fasher, and executing those unable to pay.
Darfuri groups have demanded that military authorities detain and prosecute Khamiseen, insisting that switching sides must not provide a pathway to immunity for war crimes.