200 fighters defect from Sudan's paramilitary RSF, join army: State media

A force of 200 fighters has defected from Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and joined the Sudanese army, state media reported Sunday.

The group, which included prominent field commanders, arrived in Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum, according to the state-run Sudan News Agency.

The force was led by Abu Bakr Hamouda Dahloop, commander of the special missions intelligence division in North Kordofan state, the agency said.

The group announced that it was joining the Sudanese army with all its equipment and was ready to take part in combat operations alongside the military and allied forces.

Dahloop said the fighters had realized "their mistake in following the project being implemented by the RSF militia."

He said they had joined the "national camp" and would fight "for the demands of the Sudanese people to eliminate the rebel RSF militia."

The latest move follows several other reported defections from the RSF in recent weeks.

On Aug. 19, Sudanese authorities announced that four military commanders, 318 fighters and 50 combat vehicles had defected from the RSF.

That group, led by Lt. Col. Musa Ali Ahmed, known as "Khamsin," joined the army, according to authorities.

On Aug. 13, authorities said another RSF force comprising 21 commanders and 270 fighters had defected and joined the army.

The RSF has also seen defections among senior field and political figures, including Fares Al-Nour, political adviser to the RSF commander; Maj. Gen. Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as "Al-Nour Al-Qubba"; and field commander Ali Rizqallah, known as "Savanna."

The three Kordofan states -- North, West and South -- have witnessed clashes between the army and the RSF since October 2025.

Sudan has been embroiled in war between the army and the RSF since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.