Nyala, November 13 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have arrested the father and several relatives of a military commander who defected to the Sudanese army in South Darfur, before transferring them to Nyala, according to multiple sources.
The arrests took place in Al-Tumat village, in Damso locality, about 120 kilometres south of Nyala, on Friday.
The commander, Captain Jadu Muhammad Hamid Shawqar, announced his defection from the RSF in Blue Nile State and surrendered to the Sudanese army in Damazin. A video verified by Darfur24 showed him moving with about 20 military vehicles and dozens of fighters towards Khartoum.
A family member confirmed the arrests, saying Hamid Muhammad Shawqar, the commander’s father, and several relatives had been taken to Nyala. Their whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
Ibrahim Al-Tijani, a resident of Damso, told Darfur24 that RSF forces arrested the 72-year-old father, three of his sons and several nephews, accusing them of collaborating with the Sudanese army and helping transfer RSF military equipment to government forces.
Al-Tijani said the father, who suffers from chronic illnesses, was initially taken to Tulus, where an RSF commander reportedly demanded 200 billion Sudanese pounds in compensation for the military vehicles and heavy weapons his son had handed over to the army.
He said another military force later arrived from Nyala and transferred the detainees to the city after unsuccessful negotiations.
A local leader in South Darfur told Darfur24 that efforts were underway to secure their release following protests by relatives. The source said the father had been estranged from his son for a long time, after the commander moved to Blue Nile State about six months ago.
The source added that the RSF was holding the family responsible for compensating it for the military vehicles and weapons surrendered by the defected commander.
Shawqar previously led Group 99 and served as deputy commander of the RSF’s Third Elite Forces. He participated in several battles against the Sudanese army and its allied forces in Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile.
