Sudan's army
said on Sunday a commander from its foe the Rapid Support Forces had defected
with some of his troops, the first such move by a senior figure since the two
sides went to war more than 18 months ago.
Supporters of
the army posted photos online purporting to show Abuagla Keikal - a former army
officer who became the RSF's top
commander in the southeastern state of El Gezira - after he had
defected.
The RSF later
published a statement alleging that Keikal had switched sides after a
"deal", and saying that it had inflicted losses on the forces that
defected with him in the east of El Gezira state, where Keikal is from.
The army,
which has recently reported gains against the RSF in parts of the capital, said
Keikal had decided to make the move because of the RSF's "destructive
agenda".
There was no
immediate comment from Keikal, who was a military intelligence officer before
the war.
The RSF has
seized control of large parts of Sudan in a conflict with the army that the
United Nations says has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
The war has
displaced more than 10 million people, driven parts of the country to extreme
hunger or famine, and drawn in foreign powers that have given both sides
material support.
It began in
April 2023 when tensions between the RSF and the army, who had been jostling
for position ahead of an internationally backed transition to civilian rule,
erupted into open conflict.
The army and
the RSF had previously shared power after staging a coup in 2021, two years
after veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a popular uprising.