Jalha: Inevitable and Expected Death

Sudan Events – Agencies

Throughout the months of the war, the death of the militia leader Jalha was an anticipated and inevitable event, just a matter of time. The man, through many details related to his psychological and military composition, his ethnic background, and his relationship with the dominant faction of the Rapid Support Forces, as well as his excessive presence on social media, delivering messages that lacked vision, planning, or depth, continued to target the Sudanese army and the dominant faction. All of this made him a target for the Sudanese army. His death, as a leader, would be a significant military and moral gain.

Additionally, the ethnic conflicts that occurred within the main militia faction – the Rizeigat – further supported the likelihood of his targeting. This was evidenced in December 2024, when violent clashes took place in the city of Wad Madani before it was retaken. These clashes occurred when Jalha’s forces attempted to withdraw from the city and were intercepted in the popular market and police bridge, resulting in the deaths of dozens on both sides.

In January 2025, Jalha appeared in an audio recording discussing the phenomenon of looting gangs, known as “Shafshafa,” clarifying that they did not belong to any of the warring factions. He mentioned an incident in which his forces’ rocket launcher was stolen in Wad Madani by these gangs, expressing a desire to organize and incorporate them into his forces with a fixed salary. His widely circulated speech also included random attacks that affected everyone.

Later, rumors began circulating about Jalha’s mysterious disappearance, with reports claiming he was detained in militia prisons. Due to the difficulty of obtaining information and the militia’s suppression of its supporters from revealing details, his whereabouts became unknown, making it impossible to determine his real status on the ground.

Strange Announcement:

Suddenly, without any prior notice, several militia leaders released recordings announcing Jalha’s death, with noticeable confusion and contradictions surrounding the announcement. Losing a leader from one’s ranks usually leads to a delay in the confirmation or denial of the death for morale reasons, but in this case, Imran Abdullah, the advisor to the RSF commander, announced his death without clarifying the circumstances or location. Similarly, Omar Jibril, the militia’s media official, also confirmed the death, stating he was killed in an airstrike east of the Nile in Khartoum, where a drone targeted a convoy of vehicles in the Wadi Al-Akhdar area.

Another Narrative:

At the same time, the Eyewitness platform reported that Jalha was eliminated by the Mahariya tribe, the dominant faction within the militia. This is seen as the most likely explanation, especially after armed clashes erupted between the Mahariya and the Messiria tribes following the announcement of Jalha’s death. Several Facebook pages claimed that his death came after a verbal altercation with a member of the Mahariya tribe, which occurred after Jalha ordered his forces to withdraw. Additional reports suggested that Jalha was killed because he refused to support the forces in Bahri, while others mentioned that he intended to surrender.

The account of East Kordofan via X claimed that Jalha had withdrawn from the Al-Jazeera front with a number of his forces to the cities of Umm Rawaba and Bara and continued to move between these cities until a few days before his death.

Probable Evidence:

However, it seems more likely that Jalha’s death was the result of an assassination rather than clashes with either the Sudanese army or the militia forces. This is suggested by the list of prominent casualties who died with Jalha, including his brother and a cousin from the Al-Batana region. These “outsiders,” particularly those who became suspects after the defection of the commander Kikel from the militia months ago, may have been targeted for elimination due to suspicions or as a warning to others.

Moreover, the rush to announce Jalha’s death, at a time when it would have been more natural to conceal or delay the announcement, suggests that the matter was urgent. There must have been others among the slain who were witnesses to the execution, and they might have quickly spread the news, causing tensions with the ethnic factions they belonged to, especially the Messiria.

Who Was the Deceased Jalha?

Rahmat Allah Mahdi, his real name, hailed from the Messiria tribe, a warrior tribe with a strong influence in the local culture. He had been involved in various military activities, including fighting alongside the Popular Defense Forces during previous conflicts. Jalha gained fame as a military leader and one of the local figures who formed strong influence in the areas of West Kordofan. He became widely known after founding the “Shujan Kordofan” movement in 2020.

Jalha joined the Rapid Support Forces in 2023 after entering Sudan from Libya with a large group of armed elements who had fought in Libya alongside the forces of Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar. He gained further recognition through social media by posting videos in which he vowed to defeat those he referred to as “the remnants.”

Lessons and Reflections:

The key lesson from the death of this militia leader is the impermanence of power. No matter how much authority or influence a person may have, fate can change in an instant. The world witnessed the widespread violations and killings based on identity, as large groups of Sudanese people were murdered. Betrayal and elimination were part of the militia’s strategy to seize control of the country, and now Jalha, whether by the army or by a rebel group, is gone. The Sudanese people expressed their feelings after hearing of his death, with many celebrating it.

Source: “Sudanese Echoes”