Field commander of the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, Hussein Barsham, has announced his defection from the alliance led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), citing abuses committed by fighters affiliated with Abdelaziz al-Hilu’s movement in areas under their control.
Speaking during a meeting with tribal leaders and field commanders, Barsham revealed that their regions—extending to the outskirts of South Kordofan—are experiencing a state of chaos marked by looting, killings, kidnappings, and assaults on women, particularly minors.
Barsham accused Abdelaziz al-Hilu’s militia of seizing their lands and annexing them to areas referred to as “liberated zones.” He called on young men of the tribe to withdraw from combat fronts and focus on defending their communities against looming threats from Darfur-based tribes and al-Hilu’s forces.
