Sudan: defections widen within the FSR paramilitaries.

The group was led by three military leaders from North Kordofan: Othman al-Nour, Ali el-Zein, and Younes Idriss. The defectors arrived with heavy weapons, military vehicles, and various ammunition, according to reports about this operation.

The three commanders are from Bara, a city in North Kordofan that was recently recaptured by the army. They justified their departure by what they termed “tribal racism” as well as unpaid salaries.

This defection adds to those of al-Nour el-Kobba and Ali Rezkallah, known as Savna, two other military leaders of the RSF who joined the army in May. Several departures have also been reported since the beginning of the year, amid advances by government forces in North Kordofan.

Military Pressure Intensifies

The Sudanese army claims that the Rapid Support Forces are experiencing a major collapse on several fronts, particularly in North Kordofan. With its territorial gains in this region, it is calling on other paramilitary factions to lay down their arms and surrender.

In the past two weeks, the army has also announced the arrival of several hundred RSF dissidents to its ranks. Experts attribute this increase in defections to the intensifying military pressure and internal divisions that are weakening the paramilitary forces.

The RSF still control vast areas of Sudan, especially in the Darfur region, but they are facing the army’s advancement in several strategic sectors. North Kordofan is an important axis between the center of the country, the capital Khartoum, and the western regions.

Meanwhile, a drone strike carried out on Sunday in North Darfur state killed 35 people, according to a statement from the human rights defense group Emergency Lawyers. This organization has accused the regular Sudanese army of being responsible for the attack.