Human Rights Watch Urges Sudan To Prosecute RSF Commanders Who Defected To SAF

Human Rights Watch has called on Sudan's military authorities to investigate and prosecute former Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders who defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), including Ali Rizq Allah, known as Al-Savannah, and Major General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as Al-Nour Al-Qubba.

“Human Rights Watch urged the Sudanese armed forces to ensure accountability for leaders of the Rapid Support Forces accused of grave crimes who defected and joined the army”

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The Emergency Lawyers Group in Sudan stated that defections do not exempt individuals from criminal liability for abuses committed, emphasizing that moving between sides does not offer legal protection.

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HRW highlighted videos verifying the presence of these commanders during the RSF's siege of El Fasher, where killings and sexual violence were documented, and stressed that "those responsible for serious international crimes and human rights violations do not get a free pass if they switch sides," according to Mohamed Osman, Sudan researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The Sudanese military has welcomed some defectors, with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan offering amnesty to RSF fighters willing to join government forces, but HRW and legal groups warn that such amnesty conflicts with international obligations and victims' rights to justice.

Massad Boulos, the U.S. president's senior adviser for Africa, described Sudan's conflict as "the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe," with over 12 million displaced and more than 34 million people needing humanitarian assistance.

He condemned the destruction of hospitals, collapse of water systems, and reported massacres, sexual violence, and forced recruitment, stating "there are no good actors in this conflict," attributing grave abuses to both the RSF and SAF.

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The United States announced new sanctions against RSF commanders involved in ethnic massacres, torture, sexual violence, and famine tactics, including asset freezes and travel bans, while mobilizing $2.5 billion in aid since the conflict began.

Boulos called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a civilian political transition, emphasizing that "the future of Sudan cannot be decided by generals" and proposing a five-pillar plan including ceasefire, aid access, political process, and reconstruction.

Mahamat Nour Abdelkerim, a former Chadian Defense Minister, accused Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Déby of forcibly recruiting young men from the Tama community to fight alongside Sudan's RSF militias.

“(Berlin, April 14, 2026) — The leaders gathered in Berlin on April 15, 2026, the date marking the third anniversary of the start of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, should commit to taking concrete measures with clear timelines to protect civilians and establish accountability for serious international crimes, Human Rights Watch said today”

Human Rights Watch

The International Criminal Court continues investigations into alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur, with Human Rights Watch urging countries to support expanding the ICC's jurisdiction to all of Sudan and to enforce arms embargoes.

Human Rights Watch called on the Berlin conference participants to take concrete measures to protect civilians and ensure accountability, citing drone strikes that killed dozens including children and medical staff in Darfur and White Nile State.

The Emergency Lawyers Group urged the UN Human Rights Council to document abuses without exception and called for the ICC to pursue comprehensive investigations, warning that reintegrating perpetrators into other forces threatens justice and victims' rights.