Khartoum(Dawan Africa) – Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups have declared the formation of a parallel government, deepening the political divide and raising alarm over the country’s escalating civil conflict.
In a video statement released on Saturday via the Sudanese Founding Alliance’s official channels, RSF spokesperson Alaa El Din Nugud announced the creation of a “Presidential Council for the Transitional Peace Government.” The council, chaired by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemetti”, names Abdelaziz al-Hilu as deputy president and Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi as prime minister. The body is said to consist of 15 members.
The move, while expected, marks a dramatic escalation in Sudan’s year-long war between the RSF and the national army. It follows the signing of a political charter in Nairobi in February 2024 by the RSF and allied political factions, signaling their intent to establish an alternative power center.
Sudan’s official Foreign Minister, Ali Yousif Al-Sharif, preemptively rejected the initiative earlier this year, labeling it “unacceptable” and warning international actors against extending any recognition to what he described as a “non-constitutional entity.”
As of late Saturday, the internationally recognized Sudanese government had not issued a formal response to the RSF’s latest declaration.
The RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces have been locked in a bloody conflict since April 2023, with over 20,000 deaths reported and 14 million people displaced, according to the United Nations. However, recent estimates by U.S.-based academic researchers suggest the true death toll could be as high as 130,000.
This development threatens to complicate international mediation efforts and further destabilize a region already gripped by humanitarian crisis, displacement, and economic collapse. No foreign government has officially recognized the new RSF-backed entity.
Source: Anadolu Agency (AA).
