Sudan’s Army Welcomes RSF Defectors as Public Outrage Simmers

The defection of Rizkallah, widely known as "al-Savannah," is part of a broader strategy by the Sudanese military to fracture the RSF by exploiting internal tribal and ethnic fissures. While the army-affiliated government views these high-level switches as vital gains, survivors of the conflict see a different reality. In Darfur, where Rizkallah once commanded troops accused of horrific atrocities, victims like Halima Ismail argue that a change of allegiance cannot erase the violence they endured. Ismail, who reports being whipped and witnessing systemic rape during RSF village raids, insists that those responsible must face justice rather than integration.

Legal experts remain skeptical that individual lawsuits will provide a remedy. While some civilians, such as a trader in al-Nuhud, hope to pursue claims for looting under sharia law, activists like Mohamed Salaheldin of Emergency Lawyers warn that the current instability makes localized litigation ineffective. Instead, they advocate for a comprehensive framework of transitional justice. Despite the military's goal to replicate the success of previous defections in El Gezira, the influx of former RSF figures into state ranks risks deepening social resentment and undermining long-term stability in a nation already devastated by famine, mass displacement, and a death toll reaching into the hundreds of thousands.