A human rights organization calls for accountability for Rapid Support Forces defectors.

June 23, 2026 (PEN) Human Rights Watch called on the Sudanese Armed Forces on Monday to ensure accountability for leaders of the Rapid Support Forces who defected and joined the army since April 2026, including Ali Rizqallah “Al-Safna” and Major General Al-Nur Ahmed Adam “Al-Nur Al-Qubba”, for their alleged role in serious international crimes in Darfur and Kordofan.

The organization called for cooperation with ongoing independent regional and international investigations into serious international crimes in Darfur and other parts of Sudan.

Sudan researcher Mohamed Osman said, "Changing allegiance does not grant perpetrators a certificate of innocence, and victims deserve justice and an end to the cycle of impunity."

Osman added that "placing justice at the bottom of the priority list will not stop the violence," calling for the dissident leaders to be investigated and prosecuted.

The organization said it had documented widespread attacks by the Rapid Support Forces against civilians in El Fasher in late October 2025, including killings and rape.

She added that she had verified the appearance of the two commanders during the 18-month siege of the city, noting that official channels affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces published statements indicating that “Al-Nur Al-Qubba” had a leadership role in Al-Fashir since April 2024.

In contrast, the army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, publicly welcomed the joining of “al-Qubba”, while “al-Safna” held a press conference on May 17 wearing army uniform, pledging to fight alongside him.

Burhan had announced a general amnesty for Rapid Support Forces defectors in April 2023, and renewed the call in February 2026.

The organization confirmed that these defections are not the first, and quoted Adam Musa, director of the "Darfur Victims Support Organization," as saying that it is "worrying to see defectors roaming freely in Khartoum without being held accountable."

The organization noted that the army targeted civilians on charges of "cooperating" with the Rapid Support Forces and arbitrarily detained them.

Human Rights Watch noted that the International Criminal Court has been investigating crimes in Darfur since 2002, following a referral from the Security Council in 2005, and that it accelerated its investigations in El Geneina and El Fasher in early 2026, but its mandate is limited to Darfur.

The organization called on the “Preventing Atrocities” coalition, led by Britain and Germany, to condemn any amnesty that grants impunity, to support documentation efforts, and to prioritize justice in any peace negotiations.