A senior Darfur military commander has reportedly broken ranks with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)-allied Joint Forces and joined the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS), taking 220 fighters and 22 military vehicles with him.
Major General Dosa Issa al-Tayeb al-Tijani, identified as one of the founding figures of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army faction led by Minni Arko Minnawi, announced his defection on Tuesday, according to the TASIS-aligned Rhino News agency.
The reported move represents a new setback for the SAF-aligned Joint Forces, an alliance of Darfur armed movements that has fought alongside Sudan’s military against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Al-Tijani reportedly said his decision reflected a growing conviction that the Port Sudan authorities no longer represented the aspirations of Sudan’s historically marginalised communities.
He argued that meaningful liberation required a transformation in political thinking rather than military action alone.
The commander also expressed support for TASIS’s vision of establishing a new Sudanese state based on equality, justice and the redistribution of political power.
Rhino News published a video alongside its report of the announcement.
The Sudan Times could not independently verify the reported number of fighters and vehicles accompanying al-Tijani or establish whether the entire contingent had been formally incorporated into TASIS forces.
The reported defection comes amid tensions within the military coalition supporting SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, including disagreements over command structures, political representation and the formation of new armed groups.
Minnawi’s Sudan Liberation Movement is among the principal armed factions supporting the SAF-led military campaign.
If confirmed, the transfer would mark another realignment among Darfur’s armed movements, whose competing political and military alliances have played a significant role in Sudan’s conflict since April 2023.
