2.2.3. Defection and desertion

Article 169 of the Sudan Armed Forces Act establishes the punishment for desertion as ‘imprisonment, for terms not exceeding five years together with the possibility of deprival of all, or part of the pension, or privileges.’331

Since the beginning of the conflict between the SAF and the RSF there has been a ‘phenomenon of military commanders changing sides’.332 In April 2026, Major General al-Nour Ahmed Adam had reportedly defected from the RSF and joined the SAF.333 Pursuant to his defection, it was reported that he was stripped of his military rank and sentenced to death in absentia by the RSF.334 In May 2026, Ali Rizqallah Al-Safana, who was considered to be among RSF senior commanders, defected to the SAF. Hemedti later stripped him of his military rank and sentenced him to death in absentia for desertion.335 As reported in the EUAA Country Focus on Sudan (2025), section 2.2 Conscripts, draft evaders, forced recruitment to armed groups, an earlier instance of defection from the RSF to the SAF in October 2024 by Abu Agla Keikel, then a commander of an RSF-aligned force in eastern Al Jazirah state, was followed by large scale retaliatory attacks by the RSF on civilians in Keikel’s home region, as well as on members of his tribe.336

The Sudan Tribune reported in April 2025 on a speech by Hemedti in which he allegedly ‘called on officers who “had deserted service” to report to the front lines immediately’.337

On the other side, it was reported in April 2026 that General Hassan Adam Al Hassan of the SAF allied SPLM-N had defected to join the Taasis.338

In July 2025, Darfur24 reported on SAF soldiers from the 16^th and 21^st divisions around El Fasher either deserting their position and fleeing or defecting to the RSF. The article cites hunger, poor living conditions and low wages as reasons for desertion or defection.339

Additional information on the treatment of deserters from the SAF within the reference period could not be found among the sources consulted by EUAA within the time constraints of this report.