The defection of Brigadier Ali Rizqallah, known as Savanah, is the second since last month after RSF commander Al-Nur Al-Qubba defected to the army.
A senior commander has defected from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in the second such defection since last month.
Brigadier Ali Rizqallah, better known by his nickname Savanah, said in a video circulated on social media on Monday that he “has joined the will of the Sudanese people.”
"From today, we are on one side and the RSF are on the other. My voice is the voice of the Sudanese people in all regions, east, west, south, and north. My voice is the voice of the refugees and displaced persons," he said.
There was no immediate comment from the paramilitary group on the defection.
Savanah was a senior RSF commander, who led fighting against the army in Khartoum and El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur state. No information was yet available about the force he commands.
His defection was the second since last month. In April, RSF commander Al-Nur Al-Qubba had defected to the army.
Sudan has been gripped by conflict since April 2023 between the army and the RSF over disagreements over integration into the military, a war that has killed tens of thousands, displaced around 13 million people, and pushed parts of the country toward famine, in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
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