Chadian authorities have released Yousif Ibrahim Izzat, a former political adviser to Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, after more than a year in detention without formal charges, according to his family.
Izzat was released from custody in the Chadian capital N’Djamena on November 12 following a decision by the country’s senior public prosecution authorities, his brother Mohamed Ibrahim Izzat said in a statement reported by Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
His release comes 13 months after his arrest near the Adré border crossing on October 11, 2025, while travelling towards El Geneina in Sudan’s West Darfur state to visit relatives.
According to his family, Izzat was detained by Chadian General Saleh Abdallah Jar, who is described as having close ties to senior RSF figures.
He was subsequently transferred to a detention facility operated by Chad’s intelligence and security services.
The family said his whereabouts had remained undisclosed throughout his detention and that relatives were unable to establish where he was being held until his release.
Mohamed Ibrahim Izzat said the decision to free his brother had been issued without any criminal charges being brought against him.
Several relatives detained alongside Izzat remained subject to legal procedures, with the family expressing hope that their release would follow.
The family thanked those who had campaigned for his freedom but said it was not yet prepared to disclose the full circumstances surrounding his arrest.
Izzat served as a political adviser to RSF leader Hemeti from 2021 and became one of the organisation’s most prominent political representatives after war erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023.
He participated in diplomatic engagements with regional governments and became a central figure in the RSF’s political communications during the early stages of the conflict.
However, his relationship with the RSF leadership deteriorated amid reported disagreements over the movement’s political direction.
Hemeti removed him from his advisory position in July 2024, although Izzat subsequently characterised his departure as a resignation.
His detention in Chad later raised questions among relatives and political observers about the circumstances of his arrest and the apparent absence of intervention by his former colleagues.
Some relatives and supporters alleged that figures associated with the RSF had influenced his detention, but those accusations have not been independently established.
Izzat’s release comes as the RSF remains a leading component of the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS), which has established a parallel administration in areas under its control.
Although Izzat previously occupied a senior political position within the RSF, he no longer held that role when TASIS formed its governing structures.
Chadian authorities have not publicly provided a detailed explanation for his detention or the decision to release him.
