Sudan: Five advisers to General Hemedti abandon the RSF, join al-Burhan’s Army and made revelation
Following the recent defection of a senior military leader from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Al-Jazirah State, five political leaders on October 26 publicly announced their departure from the RSF, officially joining the Sudanese Army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
These former advisers to RSF head General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as “Hemedti,” revealed details about the inner workings of the RSF and Hemedti’s ambitions, including alleged plans to seize power and control Sudan’s Red Sea coast with support from unnamed foreign allies.
Abdelakader Ibrahim, a former adviser to Hemedti for Eastern Sudan, disclosed that Hemedti had previously proposed a $30 million development plan to the Sudanese army, aiming to construct ports, airports, and six training camps in the Red Sea region to train 30,000 fighters. The Sudanese army, however, declined the proposal, which the advisers claim was key to Hemedti’s desire for control. According to these defectors, it is this thwarted ambition, rather than disagreements over Sudan’s 2020 peace framework, that has driven the ongoing conflict.
Further, Hemedti’s former communications director, Mohamad Othman Omar, disclosed that the RSF’s communications are managed by an Israeli company, though details were not provided. Three additional advisers are expected to defect soon.
This high-profile wave of defections follows that of Abu Akla Kikel, a prominent RSF military leader, who joined the Sudanese army last week. His defection reportedly triggered a spate of RSF-led abuses in communities across eastern Al-Jazirah State.
Meanwhile, on October 28, the UN Security Council convened an emergency session to address the escalating violence in Sudan. For over a year and a half, Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal conflict between two former allies-turned-rivals: the head of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
