Sudan denounces ‘parallel government’ by paramilitary RSF

Sudan has condemned an announcement by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to form a “parallel government”.

In a statement on Sunday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry described the RSF move as “a complete disregard and contempt for the suffering of the Sudanese people, who have endured all forms of violence, persecution and torture at the hands of this terrorist militia”.

Calling the RSF-led administration a “phantom government”, the ministry said the move was “clear evidence of the defeat and rout of the rebel group at the hands of our valiant armed forces”.

It also described the RSF’s administration as an “illegitimate government”.

In February, the RSF and other allied rebel leaders agreed to form a government for a "New Sudan," aiming to challenge the army-led administration's legitimacy.

How did we get here?

On Saturday, the Sudanese Founding Alliance, a coalition led by the RSF, announced the formation of a parallel government under RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The paramilitary group also appointed Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’ayshi – a former member of Sudan’s transitional sovereign council from 2019 until the 2021 military coup – as prime minister of what it calls the “government of peace and unity”.

An RSF member told AFP on condition of anonymity that al-Ta’ayshi would now begin forming a cabinet.

The military led by career army officer General Abdel Fattah al Burhan had condemned the idea of the RSF creating a parallel government and promised to keep fighting until it controls all of Sudan, which has been plagued by conflicts and hunger

Who controls what in Sudan?

Sudan is currently divided, with the army controlling the north, east and centre – having recently retaken the capital, Khartoum.

The RSF controls much of the west of the country such as the vast Darfur region and some other areas but is being pushed back from central Sudan by the army.

The internationally recognised army-aligned government, formed in May and headed by former UN official Kamil Idris, remains incomplete, with three cabinet positions still vacant.

What could this lead to?

United Nations officials have warned that the RSF’s formation of a parallel government – now with both a prime minister and a presidential council – could deepen Sudan’s fragmentation and complicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which began in April 2023.

The army and RSF have been engaged in conflict since April 2023, a war that has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced 14 million people, according to the UN and local authorities.