A unit belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), identified as “Group 26,” has surrendered to the Sudanese army. According to the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA), the surrendering force handed over its personnel and all associated military equipment. While the specific number of soldiers and the exact types of hardware involved were not disclosed, the group was officially received by Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as Al-Nour al-Qubba, alongside senior officers from both the Sudanese army and the General Intelligence Service.
Al-Nour al-Qubba, a founding member of the RSF who defected to the army in April, noted that these surrenders are becoming a recurring trend. Having previously served as a senior commander and participated in the battle for Al Fasher—the capital of North Darfur which the RSF captured in October 2025—he stated that many RSF members have joined the regular military in recent months. Al-Nour al-Qubba criticized the RSF for lacking strategy, a clear cause, and ethical principles, asserting that foreign support for the paramilitary group serves only personal interests and will not alter the war's ultimate outcome.
One of the fighters who surrendered, Captain Othman Al-Nour Hasab Khalil, confirmed that he and his unit arrived from the city of Bara in North Kordofan state to join the Sudanese armed forces. He urged his former colleagues to abandon the conflict, citing the war’s “racial and regional character” and a profound sense of marginalization within the RSF as the primary motivations for his decision. There has been no official response or comment from the RSF regarding the surrender.
Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal conflict since April 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti. The war, which originated from the RSF’s roots in the Janjaweed militant groups of the 2000s, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions. While the SAF has historically relied on air power and artillery, the RSF has utilized urban warfare to control large swaths of the capital and Darfur. International observers and aid organizations continue to report systemic attacks on civilians, starvation, and mass killings as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
