Tensions are reportedly escalating inside the camp of armed groups allied with General al-Burhan’s SAF after field commander Al-Nour Al-Qubba rejected proposals to integrate his forces into the SAF’s ground forces structure, according to Sudanese media reports.
Sources cited by Sudanese outlet Al-Rakoba said Al-Qubba informed senior military leaders that he fully opposed any arrangement that would dissolve his forces or merge them directly into the conventional military establishment. Instead, he reportedly demanded recognition for his group as an independent auxiliary force operating alongside the SAF under its own command structure.
According to the reports, Al-Qubba argued that his forces should receive a status similar to other pro-SAF armed factions, including the Sudan Shield Forces led by Abu Aqla Keikal, the Al-Baraa bin Malik Brigade, and the Joint Forces affiliated with armed movements fighting alongside the army.
The dispute has reportedly fuelled growing tensions between Al-Qubba and SAF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Yasser Al-Atta, who is said to be pushing for a broader restructuring effort aimed at bringing allied armed formations under a unified military command controlled by the SAF.
Sources said recent meetings witnessed heated discussions over the future of irregular forces participating in the war alongside General al-Burhan’s SAF, amid mounting concerns over the growing number of armed power centres and the difficulties of managing them politically and militarily.
Observers quoted in the report said the disagreement reflects deeper divisions and structural challenges within the pro-army camp, particularly as allied militias and auxiliary factions have gained increasing battlefield influence during the war.
Analysts also warned that demands by some commanders to preserve independent armed structures could complicate any future post-war security arrangements, especially amid ongoing discussions about restructuring Sudan’s military and security institutions under a possible political settlement.
