Khartoum: The Sudanese army has announced that hundreds of members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including commanders, have defected from the paramilitary group and joined its ranks. In a statement issued late Tuesday, the Al-Dabba locality, citing Border Guards commander Mohamed Saleh Younes, revealed the defection of a significant group of RSF members who have decided to join Sudan's Armed Forces.

According to Anadolu Agency, the group consists of 318 personnel, including four commanders, and is equipped with as many as 50 combat vehicles. Younes stated, "The doors of the homeland are open to everyone who wishes to return to the ranks of the armed forces," emphasizing the army's ongoing efforts to restore security across the conflict-ridden nation.

The statement also included remarks from Lieutenant-Colonel Musa Ali Ahmed, the leader of the defectors, who attributed their decision to the "absence of institutional structures" within the RSF. Ahmed noted that their choice to join the army was driven by a commitment to "Sudan's unity."

Last week, Sudanese authorities reported that 300 other personnel, including 21 commanders, had similarly defected from the RSF to join Sudan's armed forces. The RSF has been experiencing a surge in defections among its military and political leaders, with notable figures such as political adviser Fares al-Nour, field commander Ali Rizqallah, and Major-General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam leaving the group.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has been escalating since April 2023, with fierce clashes occurring in regions such as Darfur and Blue Nile states, as well as North, West, and South Kordofan. According to UN and international estimates, the ongoing conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced nearly 13 million people.