KHARTOUM – A Rapid Support Forces commander in South Darfur announced his defection to the Sudanese Armed Forces and urged troops under his command and other RSF fighters to follow him, marking the latest departure by a field commander from the paramilitary group.

Lt. Col. Jiddo Mohammed Adam Mohammed, who identified himself as commander of RSF Group 135 and the Nyala South sector, announced the move in a recorded video released on Saturday.

Jiddo said he had reconsidered his position in Sudan’s war and concluded that continuing to fight was no longer justified, citing the displacement of civilians, destruction of homes and mounting Sudanese casualties.

He said he accepted responsibility for his decision and was prepared to face any legal procedures resulting from his previous role in the RSF.

Jiddo also apologized to Sudanese civilians for suffering caused by the war and called on his former comrades to reconsider their positions.

“Sudan is bigger than any commander or group,” he said in the recording.

He accused the RSF leadership, referring specifically to the Dagalo family, of sending fighters into a war that he said served interests unrelated to protecting Sudanese civilians.

Jiddo urged members of his unit and other RSF personnel to defect immediately and join the army.

The exact number of fighters who may have left the RSF with him was not immediately clear.

Jiddo’s announcement carries additional significance because of positions he said he previously held within the RSF structure in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and one of the group’s most important strongholds.

He has been described as having served as head of a committee responsible for detainees and what the RSF calls “negative phenomena,” in addition to commanding the Nyala South sector.

Reports have also identified him as a former supervisor of security details protecting RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and his deputy and brother, Abdelrahim Dagalo.

Sudan Now could not independently verify all of those previous positions.

The defection follows several departures by RSF commanders since the war with the Sudanese army erupted in April 2023.

Maj. Gen. Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as Al-Nour Al-Guba, announced his defection and joined the army in April 2026.

Brig. Gen. Ali Rizgallah, widely known as Al-Safana, followed in May, while other field commanders and groups of fighters have also been reported to have left the RSF.

The departures have been attributed to a combination of internal disputes, tribal tensions, complaints over pay and medical treatment and disagreements over the conduct and direction of the war.

Some defections have also come amid growing tensions in Darfur and competition among local armed groups over influence, resources and command structures.

Nyala has become a major political and military centre for the RSF since the group consolidated control over much of Darfur during the conflict.

That makes defections involving commanders with positions in the city potentially more significant than the departure of individual fighters, particularly if they involve personnel, intelligence or networks linked to the RSF leadership.

However, the impact of individual defections remains difficult to assess and depends largely on the commander’s actual influence, the number of fighters who follow and the extent of their operational responsibilities.

There was no immediate public response from the RSF leadership to Jiddo’s announcement.