Sudan: RSF announce formation of rival government

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been engaged in fierce fighting against the national army, have announced the formation of a rival government to rule over the territories under their control, including the Darfur region in western Sudan, where the United Nations has reported that RSF-led attacks have killed 400 people.

RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, announced the move in a speech on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the third year of Sudan’s civil war.

“We proudly affirm the establishment of the Government of Peace and Unity – a broad civilian coalition representing the true face of Sudan,” Dagalo said in a recorded statement. He added that other movements had joined the administration led by the RSF, including the Sudan Liberation Movement, which controls parts of the Kordofan region.

Dagalo, sanctioned by the United States for alleged ethnic cleansing by his forces in Darfur, announced efforts with his allies to establish a 15-member presidential council representing all regions of Sudan.

According to the United Nations, the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of more than 24,000 people and displaced over 14 million — around 30 per cent of the population — both internally and across Sudan’s borders. It has also triggered what the UN describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over 30 million people in need of assistance this year, including 16 million children living in dire conditions.

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