A faction that broke away from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Jiddo Mohamed Hamid Shawqar, has announced that it is joining the Sudanese Armed Forces.
In press statements, Shawqar said his forces, comprising more than 20 combat vehicles and approximately 120 personnel, had arrived from Ethiopian territory and surrendered to the army in Sudan’s Blue Nile Region.
He added that his forces would fight alongside the Sudanese army, attributing their decision to defect to what he described as violations committed by the RSF across various battlefronts.
He also accused the RSF leadership of losing control over its fighters, some of whom he claimed were acting under external directives, while alleging that foreign fighters were among its ranks.
Shawqar accused the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), led by Joseph Toka and allied with the RSF, of committing widespread violations, including rape against civilians in areas of military operations in the Blue Nile Region.
He called on other RSF members to lay down their arms and join the Sudanese Armed Forces. He also appealed to tribal leaders, elders and community chiefs to protect their sons and prevent them from being drawn into the fighting.
