Sources in Nyala report that a worsening liquidity crisis and sporadic internal clashes may be pushing the city beyond the militia’s control. Gunfire and explosions have become a constant backdrop, breaking a long-standing culture of enforced silence in a city where even casual remarks once carried deadly consequences. For years, fear ensured obedience; now, that fear appears to be weakening.
For the first time, fighters are openly accusing their own commanders. Rival factions within the militia exchange blame, with some alleging that salaries—reportedly flown in from the UAE—were embezzled by senior officers with the knowledge of Abdelrahim himself. Public threats against leadership figures signal a sharp erosion of internal discipline, particularly alarming in Nyala, the militia’s chosen capital.
Analysts say these developments undermine the militia’s long-standing formula of control based on money and terror. While retired Colonel Siddiq Surkatti cautions that the militia still benefits from tribal loyalties, external backing, and financial flows, he warns that concentrating command, finances, and decision-making in one man is a structural weakness. As supply lines stretch and communications falter, today’s cracks may widen into systemic failure.
