Maj. Gen. al‑Nour Ahmed Adam (al‑Qubba) defected from the Rapid Support Forces and joined Sudan’s army, where he was publicly received by Gen. Abdel‑Fattah Burhan in the Northern province near Egypt. Local reports say Adam arrived from Darfur with dozens of fighters and equipment after disputes with RSF leadership over a North Darfur command post. His defection is one of the most senior since the war began in April 2023, a conflict ACLED estimates has killed at least 59,000 people.
Top RSF Commander Maj. Gen. al‑Nour 'al‑Qubba' Defects to Sudanese Army as War Enters Fourth Year
A minibus drives past an empty checkpoint where a mannequin dressed as a soldier stands in downtown Khartoum, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Maj. Gen. al‑Nour Ahmed Adam, widely known as al‑Qubba, has defected from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and formally joined Sudan’s regular army — a move publicly welcomed by army chief Gen. Abdel‑Fattah Burhan as the conflict entered its fourth year.
The ruling Sovereign Council posted video footage of Burhan meeting Adam on Sunday in Sudan’s Northern province near the Egyptian border. In a statement, Burhan said:
“Doors are open to all those who lay down arms and join the path of national reconstruction.”
Local media report that Adam left RSF‑held areas of Darfur earlier this month and arrived with dozens of fighters and some military equipment. The Sudan Tribune said Adam’s departure followed internal disputes with RSF leaders — reportedly over their refusal to appoint him as military commander of North Darfur after the RSF seized el‑Fasher in October, which had been the military’s last stronghold in the region.
Adam is among the most senior RSF officers to switch sides during the conflict. A notable earlier defection occurred in 2024 when Abu Aqla Kaikel, former leader of the Sudan Shield Forces, left the RSF after the military regained control of the central province of Gezira.
Context and Casualties
The war erupted in April 2023 when a power struggle between Sudan’s military and the RSF escalated into large‑scale fighting in Khartoum and across the country. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the conflict has caused at least 59,000 deaths — a figure the U.S.‑based monitoring group says is almost certainly an undercount because of reporting challenges in active combat zones.
The RSF did not immediately comment on Adam’s defection. Analysts say high‑profile defections can reshape local front lines and morale but are only one factor amid a complex, protracted conflict involving multiple actors and shifting alliances.
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