Mercenaries and defectors abound in Sudan war

What Happened

Senior Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders Al-Nour Ahmed Adam ('Al-Nour Al-Qubba') and Ali Rizq Allah ('Al-Savannah') defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan earlier this year. Both were involved in the RSF's capture of El Fasher in October 2025, where Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented war crimes. Al-Burhan has repeatedly offered a general amnesty to RSF members who surrender, but HRW could not verify whether the latest defectors received such guarantees. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) interprets the defections as a sign of internal RSF tensions and competition for spoils. Separately, HRW published an 83-page report detailing how the UAE-based Global Security Services Group (GSSG) recruited hundreds of Colombian mercenaries since 2024 to fight alongside the RSF, using social media content and interviews to trace their deployment from UAE facilities to Sudan. The report adds to accusations that the UAE has supplied the RSF with Chinese-made drones, small arms, vehicles, and ammunition—support that former US envoy Cameron Hudson claimed is 'the only thing that is keeping them in this war.'

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The defections expose cracks within the RSF's command structure and may signal a turning point in a conflict that has ravaged Sudan since 2023. External patronage—particularly from the UAE—has been decisive in sustaining the RSF, raising concerns about the internationalization of the war and the circumvention of arms embargoes. The involvement of Colombian mercenaries introduces a new layer of foreign fighters, complicating accountability and potentially exacerbating human rights abuses. The SAF's amnesty policy risks granting impunity to commanders implicated in war crimes, undermining justice prospects for Sudanese victims.

Watch For

Monitor whether the SAF grants formal amnesty to Al-Nour Al-Qubba and Ali Rizq Allah, and whether international bodies press for their prosecution. Watch for further RSF defections or internal clashes as cohesion erodes. Expect diplomatic responses to HRW's report, particularly from the UAE and Colombian governments, and possible UN Security Council scrutiny of UAE arms transfers. Sudanese civil society and HRW will likely intensify calls for accountability mechanisms for all war crimes, regardless of faction.