Mercenaries and high-profile defectors abound in Sudan war

What Happened

High-profile defections from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have signalled internal fractures within the paramilitary group. In early 2026, SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan welcomed former senior RSF commander Al-Nour Ahmed Adam (Al-Nour Al-Qubba) into SAF ranks, followed weeks later by another senior RSF commander, Ali Rizq Allah (Al-Savannah). Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reviewed videos that appear to show these two commanders during the RSF's siege of El Fasher, where the group captured the city in October 2025 and HRW documented war crimes. Al-Burhan has offered a general amnesty to RSF fighters who defect, but HRW stressed that those responsible for serious crimes must not receive impunity. Conflict monitors at ACLED interpret the defections as a sign of increasing tension within RSF ranks and 'cracks in the RSF's core alliances', with local loyalties superseding central command. At the same time, external military support continues to fuel the conflict. The RSF is allegedly backed by the United Arab Emirates, which has been accused by US intelligence sources and Amnesty International of supplying weapons including Chinese-made drones, small arms, and vehicles. Cameron Hudson, a former US special envoy staffer, stated that 'the war would be over if not for the UAE'. The UAE denies the claims. An HRW investigation published in May 2026 alleges that an Abu Dhabi-based company, Global Security Services Group, recruited hundreds of Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside the RSF. HRW geolocated social media content showing the contractors training in the UAE and operating with RSF fighters in Sudan. The SAF receives support from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Eritrea, and Iran is suspected of providing military aid.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The defections expose deepening fractures within RSF command, potentially shifting battlefield dynamics as local loyalties erode central authority. The flood of foreign weapons and mercenaries—including alleged UAE-supplied drones and Colombian contractors—illustrates the war's transformation into a regional proxy conflict, complicating ceasefire efforts. HRW's documentation of war crimes and the amnesty offer raises urgent questions about accountability and the risk that perpetrators of atrocities could escape justice by switching sides.

Watch For

Monitor whether the amnesty leads to further RSF defections and how Hemedti moves to reassert command control; track any international response to HRW's mercenary report, including potential diplomatic pressure on the UAE or sanctions designations; watch for the next IPC famine classification cycle given ongoing access constraints in Darfur; follow ACLED and field reports for shifts in control around El Fasher and any new military offensives by either side.