Rapid Support Forces special task group commander defects with 300 troops

Lt. Col. Mohammed Azraq Al-Fanjari, commander of the Special Task Group in the Rapid Support Forces, has announced his defection from the force along with about 300 officers and soldiers and 30 combat vehicles, marking the latest declared split within its ranks.

In his statement, Al-Fanjari said he left the Rapid Support Forces with a group of officers, soldiers and several combat vehicles, as defections from the force continue amid ongoing military operations on several fronts, most notably in Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile.

This coincided with the defection of a unit from the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance, led by Al-Tahir Hajar and allied with the Rapid Support Forces, which announced its allegiance to the armed forces on October 3.

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Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported that the unit was led by Mohamedein Ismail Abu Zra and included 106 fighters, among them 18 officers, who joined the army with their full military equipment at the Tina front in North Darfur state.

Another group, led by Tayeb Mohammed Ahmed, known as "Tayeb Al-Waheedo," also announced its defection from the Rapid Support Forces and its decision to join the armed forces.

According to SUNA, the group’s commander said his decision was prompted by the suffering he witnessed within the Rapid Support Forces, and he called on its members to join the army.