Sudan's RSF Forms Rival Government

Sudan’s RSF Forms Rival Government, Raising Split Fears Sudan Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies announced over the weekend they would form a parallel government in RSF-controlled territories, a move that has sparked fears of the East African country splitting apart, the Associated Press reported. The newly-formed Tasis Alliance named RSF commander Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – also known as Hemedti – as head of a 15-member sovereign council, which will serve as head of state in the new government, mainly overseeing the western region of Darfur. Rebel leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) will act as Dagalo’s deputy, while former civilian official Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi is appointed prime minister. The announcement took place in Nyala, the largest city in Darfur. Regional governors were also named, including for areas currently held by the Sudanese army. The new parallel government comes more than two years after Sudan plunged into civil war following a fallout between Dagalo and Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The two men had previously shared power after the ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019. However, a 2021 coup by the two forces then ousted civilian politicians, sparking a war over troop integration during a planned transition to democracy. The ongoing conflict has displaced millions, with tens of thousands killed and half the population facing famine, according to the United Nations. Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of war crimes, with both Dagalo and Burhan sanctioned by the United States over their role in the conflict. Saturday’s announcement came months after the RSF and allied groups signed a charter in February in Kenya that outlined plans for a secular “New Sudan” government, Reuters added. The SAF and the internationally recognized government in Khartoum immediately condemned the RSF’s move over the weekend. Sudan’s foreign ministry called the new administration a “fake government” and urged the international community not to engage with it. While Burhan has vowed to continue fighting until the army regains full control of Sudan, analysts warned that the formation of a rival administration risks further fragmentation.