Sudan’s deepening civil conflict took a new turn on Saturday as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied factions announced the formation of a parallel government, challenging the military-backed administration and escalating fears of the country’s potential fragmentation.
Speaking from the RSF-controlled city of Nyala in South Darfur, coalition leaders named Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’ayshi — a former member of Sudan’s transitional sovereign council — as the new civilian prime minister of what they are calling the “Government of Peace and Unity.” Al-Ta’ayshi is now tasked with forming a cabinet under the newly established rival government.
In the same press conference, the RSF unveiled a 15-member presidential council led by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as president and influential rebel leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu as vice president. The council includes former officials, political leaders, and regional governors — notably El-Hadi Idris, who has been named governor of Darfur, now a region with competing leadership.
The move comes more than two years into a brutal war between the RSF and Sudan’s military, sparked by a failed power-sharing arrangement between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Dagalo — once partners in the 2019 ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir. The conflict has since torn the country in two: the military holds the capital Khartoum and much of the north, east, and center, while the RSF controls large parts of Darfur and Kordofan.
The internationally recognized transitional government, backed by the military and headed by former UN official Kamil Idris, remains only partially formed, with key cabinet positions yet to be filled. There has been no official response from this administration regarding the RSF’s announcement.
International bodies, including the United Nations, have raised concerns that the establishment of a parallel government will only deepen Sudan’s divisions and further complicate peace negotiations. The move follows a political charter signed in February between the RSF and several allied civilian and armed groups in Nairobi.
The ongoing war, which began in April 2023, has plunged Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands have died, millions have been displaced, and critical infrastructure — including hospitals, schools, and water systems — has collapsed across the country.
As both factions push forward with rival governance structures, hopes for a unified and peaceful resolution to the crisis remain increasingly uncertain.
