KHARTOUM – The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said a military force affiliated with Suleiman Sandal Haggar, interior minister in the RSF-linked administration, had defected and joined its ranks in support of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Joint Force.
In a statement on Thursday, JEM said it welcomed Brig. Bashir Abkar Abdel Salam, along with 15 officers and more than 250 non-commissioned officers and soldiers, describing their defection as a “qualitative addition” to what it called the national resistance.
The movement said the force had chosen to “return to the national path” and side with state institutions. It added that it would complete the absorption and administrative arrangements needed to allow the new members to operate alongside the army and the Joint Force.
JEM also called on other fighters it said had been “misled” to reconsider their positions and join what it described as the choice of the people and the nation.
Sudan Now could not independently verify the number of defectors or the circumstances of their move. Sandal’s camp and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) did not immediately comment.
The announcement comes amid a growing number of reported defections from the RSF and forces allied with it, as Sudan’s war enters a more fluid phase marked by shifting front lines, internal divisions and competing alliances.
The RSF and its allied political and military groups have faced increasing pressure in recent months as the army and allied forces seek to expand operations in Kordofan, Darfur and other areas. Several commanders and armed groups have announced defections to the army or to movements fighting alongside it.
Some of the defections have been linked by local accounts to internal disputes, competition over leadership and resources, problems with supplies and salaries, and disagreements over political direction within RSF-aligned structures.
For the army and allied movements, such defections may offer more than additional fighters. Former RSF-linked officers and soldiers can provide knowledge of command networks, supply routes, local alliances and field positions.
However, the reintegration of former RSF-linked forces has also raised questions about accountability, discipline and future security arrangements, especially in a war where all armed actors face scrutiny over abuses against civilians.
JEM, led by Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim, is part of the Joint Force of Darfur movements fighting alongside the SAF against the RSF. The movement has repeatedly called for armed formations to be reorganized under a unified national military structure after the war.
