Khartoum, May 12 (Darfur24)
Prominent West Darfur native administration leader Masar Abdelrahman Asil has announced his withdrawal of support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and declared allegiance to the Sudanese army, according to informed sources who spoke to Darfur24.
Masar Asil is considered one of the most prominent native administration leaders in West Darfur and previously held a senior position within the RSF-backed Constituent Council formed in the state.
According to the sources, Asil, who is currently residing in Chad, circulated voice messages through social media groups criticizing recent RSF arrest campaigns targeting leaders affiliated with the National Congress Party.
The sources added that Asil himself was previously regarded as a leading figure within the former ruling National Congress Party and had long been known for publicly supporting the RSF before recently shifting allegiance to the Sudanese army.
In March 2025 and June 2024, the European Union and the Canadian government imposed sanctions on several RSF-linked figures, including Masar Asil, over alleged involvement in atrocities committed in El Geneina, West Darfur. Asil has been accused of inciting Arab tribal groups to attack the Masalit community during the violence that swept the city.
In July 2023, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan announced investigations into alleged war crimes and atrocities in Darfur. Reports at the time indicated that the ICC was examining the roles of Abdelrahman Asil, Major General Abdelrahman Jumaa Baraka Allah, and Al-Tijani Karshoum.
A Masalit tribal leader quoted in a 2023 Reuters report said he saw Asil in El Geneina’s Donki neighborhood in mid-June 2023 riding in a Land Cruiser and overseeing the positions of Arab fighters.
Asil previously denied leading militias or having direct ties to the RSF, while accusing the Masalit tribe of initiating the violence and claiming Arab armed groups were acting in response to attacks against their communities.