The Sudanese army, on Sunday, welcomed the defection of the main commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Abu Aqla Kikal, along with a group of his forces, in what he said was the first time that a senior figure had defected from those forces.

The army said in a statement posted on its Facebook account: “We sided with truth and the homeland today after leaving the ranks of the rebels, and decided to fight side by side with our forces, the commander of the Al-Daklo terrorist militia, Abu Aqla Kikel, and with him a large group of his forces.”

He added, "The armed forces welcome this courageous step by them, and confirm that their doors will remain open to everyone who sides with the nation and its armed forces."

In its statement, the army renewed its reference to an amnesty guaranteed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, for any “rebel who sides with the nation and reports to the nearest military command in all regions of Sudan.”

During the first days of the war that broke out in April 2023, the commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, Abu Aqla Kikel, announced his joining the Rapid Support Forces, and became one of its influential leaders.

Last December, Kikel led the battle to seize the strategic city of Wad Madani in Al-Jazeera State in central Sudan, and Hemedti issued a decision appointing him as governor of the state, after his forces took control of it.

Kikl appeared for the first time in December 2022 wearing a Sudanese army uniform, announcing the formation of the “Sudan Shield” forces, as a movement to demand the rights of the people of central Sudan, while it was rumored at the time that the movement was closely linked to the Sudanese army’s intelligence, before its leader officially announced his joining of the support. The fast.