Sudan’s Third Front–Tamazuj, an armed movement fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), denies that two of its commanders have defected to the Sudanese army. On 10 November, Maj. Gen. Hamdan Bashir and Col. Omar Awad Haroun appeared in a video saying they had left the RSF alliance and joined the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Tamazuj’s leadership responded on 11 November that the two men “have no connection” to the movement and hold no posts in its structures.
Both versions cannot be fully true. The dispute comes as the SAF and its allies press the RSF around En Nahud and El Khwei in West Kordofan. It is the second disputed defection story in a week, after the reported switch of RSF Lt. Gen. Khalid Bireish, which the RSF also denied (our report).
The defection announcement
On Tuesday 10 November, Al Arabiya and its sister channel Al Hadath reported a video in which Maj. Gen. Hamdan Bashir Hamid, described as commander of Tamazuj’s Third Front forces, said he had broken completely with the RSF and now backed the army. He apologised to the Sudanese people for “mistakes” made during the alliance and urged others to follow him.
Col. Omar Awad Haroun, described as his deputy, made the same announcement. Al Arabiya said Haroun is also a Misseriya omda (community leader) responsible for mobilisation. Saudi outlets including Al Ekhbariya, as well as Khartoum Wire and Sawti, carried the story on 10–11 November.
None of these reports said how many fighters, vehicles or positions, if any, moved with the two officers. As of this report, DefenceMENA had found no statement on the defections from the SAF spokesperson’s office.
Tamazuj’s denial
On 11 November, Tamazuj’s general secretariat issued a statement signed by its secretary-general, Maj. Gen. Mukhtar Fadil Mukhtar. Sky Sudan published it in full, and Erem News also reported it. The statement says:
- “Hamdan Bashir Jubair” and Omar Awad Haroun “have no connection” with the Third Front–Tamazuj, hold no posts in its political, military or organisational structures, and cannot speak for it.
- Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Qurashi remains the movement’s chairman and commander-in-chief. Qurashi signed the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement for the movement.
- Tamazuj stands by its 17 August 2023 decision to fight alongside the RSF.
- The defection reports are part of a “systematic media campaign” by circles linked to the army.
Qurashi told Erem News he is still with his forces in movement-held areas. He said the two men who appeared on television do not represent Tamazuj. He also said the reports were meant to cover what he called army losses, especially in Blue Nile. DefenceMENA has not verified that claim.
The statement spells the commander’s name “Hamdan Bashir Jubair”, while Al Arabiya used “Hamdan Bashir Hamid”. The statement does not say whether either man held a Tamazuj post in the past.
What can and cannot be confirmed
- Confirmed: A video statement by two men presenting themselves as Tamazuj commanders who were joining the SAF was broadcast and widely shared on 10 November.
- Confirmed: Tamazuj’s secretariat and its chairman publicly deny that the two belong to the movement and say the movement remains allied to the RSF.
- Not established: The two men’s actual rank and role in Tamazuj before the announcement, and whether any fighters followed them.
- Not established: Further defections reported by the Saudi daily Al Bilad on 12 November, including a group under a captain and fighters from the Fallata community. These come from a single source and have not been verified.
Why defections matter on the Kordofan front
The dispute comes during an SAF push in Kordofan. The army and allied forces have been advancing toward El Khwei and En Nahud in West Kordofan, which link central Sudan to Darfur, and have reported shooting down several FH-95 drones (our earlier report). Al Bilad reported on 12 November that army forces had broken through RSF lines between the two towns, backed by aircraft and drones. Neither side’s casualty or vehicle-loss figures have been independently verified.
Public defections serve both sides’ messaging. The army presents them as evidence that the RSF coalition is breaking up. The RSF and its allies call them staged. The Bireish case followed the same pattern earlier this month. Human Rights Watch has said defecting commanders should still be investigated where there are credible allegations of serious abuses, Khartoum Wire noted. For background on the weapons both sides use, see our guide to Sudan’s drone suppliers and our report on the widening drone war.
Sources
- Al Arabiya / Al Hadath, report and X posts on the Tamazuj defection video, 10 November 2026.
- Third Front–Tamazuj general secretariat, statement signed by Maj. Gen. Mukhtar Fadil Mukhtar, 11 November 2026, as published by Sky Sudan.
- Erem News, Tamazuj denial and interview with Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Qurashi, November 2026.
- Khartoum Wire, “Two Tamazuj Commanders Split From RSF, Back Sudan Army”, November 2026.
- Sawti, report on the Tamazuj defection announcement, 10 November 2026.
- Al Bilad (Saudi Arabia), report on Kordofan and Blue Nile operations, 12 November 2026 (claims of further defections; unverified).
Image: Sudanese Armed Forces soldiers in Jebel Moya after its recapture from the RSF, October 2024 (file photo; not related to the Tamazuj announcement). Photo: unknown author, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.