RSF Special Tasks Commander Defects to Sudan’s Army: What Is Confirmed
A commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has announced that he is leaving the paramilitary group and siding with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Lt. Col. Mohamed Azraq al-Fanjari, who identified himself as commander of the RSF’s Special Tasks Group, made the announcement in a video statement circulated on Sudanese media on Thursday, 8 October 2026.
What al-Fanjari said
In the video, al-Fanjari said he was giving up all military duties within the RSF “after an honest review of ourselves and deep reflection on what our country has come to as a result of this futile war,” according to TRT Afrika and Anadolu Agency. He distanced himself from violations committed against civilians, apologised to Sudanese families harmed by the conflict, and called on other RSF members to leave the force and rally behind the army, describing the conflict as “a war without a cause and without a future.”
How many fighters went with him?
Turkish and regional outlets, including Anadolu Agency, reported that he brought about 300 officers and soldiers and 30 combat vehicles with him. The Sudan Times noted that these figures could not be independently verified. As of reporting, the RSF had not commented publicly, and neither the scale of the defection nor its effect on operations has been confirmed by an independent source. Defence MENA treats the 300-troop and 30-vehicle figures as claims, not established fact.
Part of a wider pattern
This is not the first defection of its kind. Sudan Now reported that in August Sudanese authorities announced two RSF groups totalling 21 commanders, 270 personnel and 37 combat vehicles had switched sides. The Sudan Times reported that on 3 October a group affiliated with the Sudan Liberation Forces Gathering, led by al-Tahir Hajar, joined the army in North Darfur with 106 fighters, including 18 officers.
Individual defections like these matter for propaganda and morale, but they do not necessarily change the military balance in a war fought across Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile since April 2023. For the drone side of that fight, see our reports on the Ed Damazin drone strikes and the AKINCI vs CH-95 shoot-down claims.
Sources
- Anadolu Agency, 8 Oct 2026
- TRT Afrika
- The Sudan Times, 8 Oct 2026
- Sudan Now, 8 Oct 2026
- Clash Report on X
