Senior RSF commander defects in Sudan, accusing leadership of nepotism

A senior commander in Sudan's Rapid Support Forces has defected, accusing the paramilitary group's leadership of operating like a family business and suppressing dissent. Siddiq Ander said in video footage that he had left the RSF and criticised the way power is exercised inside the force. His remarks point to a fresh internal split within one of the main armed actors in Sudan's war.

The footage, published on Friday, shows Ander accusing relatives of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, of controlling the group's finances, weapons, troop movements and military promotions. Ander said it had become clear that they were serving what he described as a purely family-based project. He also said anyone who speaks out and tells the truth faces expulsion, imprisonment or a hidden death.

The RSF has already seen a series of high-profile departures this year, including commanders leaving with fighters and military vehicles. Among them was Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari, who announced on October 8 that he was leaving with 300 officers and soldiers and 30 military vehicles. Another commander, Al-Tayeb al-Wahidu, defected on September 25 and joined the Sudanese Armed Forces with 50 fighters in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum.

Earlier in the year, Brigadier Ali Rizqallah, known as Savannah, also announced his departure, while Major General al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as al-Qubba, joined the army in April. The defections matter because the RSF remains central to Sudan's conflict, which began in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and the paramilitary force. One of the disputes at the heart of the war has been how, and on what terms, the RSF might be integrated into the regular military.

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A growing number of senior departures suggests pressure inside the group at a time when the conflict has already caused major disruption across the country. Ander's accusations also highlight the role of Hemedti's relatives in the RSF structure. His brother, Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, serves as the group's deputy commander.

The claims of control over money, weapons and promotions add to long-running questions about command, loyalty and decision-making inside the force. They also underline how internal discipline and patronage remain important factors in the wider war. What remains unclear is how many fighters may follow Ander, and whether his defection will trigger further departures.

The footage does not by itself show the full scale of any split inside the RSF, and there has been no immediate public response from the group in the material provided. The next developments to watch are whether more commanders break away and whether the army seeks to exploit the latest defection.

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