Sudan's Paramilitary Declares Parallel Govt In War-Hit Darfur, Deepening Crisis

Last Updated:July 27, 2025, 19:52 IST

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with allied armed groups under the so-called Tasis Alliance, made the declaration

Sudanese soldiers from the Rapid Support Forces unit. (AP file photo)

The Sudanese paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on Saturday announced the formation of a parallel government in areas under its control, mainly in the war-torn Darfur region, further deepening the country’s ongoing crisis.

The RSF, along with allied armed groups under the so-called Tasis Alliance, made the declaration. The move comes more than a year after fighting erupted between the RSF and Sudan’s military in April 2023, plunging the country into civil war.

In a video statement from Nyala, the capital of South Darfur now under RSF control, alliance spokesman Alaa al-Din Naqd said RSF commander Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as “Hemedti," has been appointed head of a new sovereign council. The 15-member council will serve as the head of state for the RSF-held areas.

The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militias, accused of committing widespread atrocities during the Darfur conflict two decades ago. Now, in the current war, the group stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Dagalo, accusing the RSF and its proxies of genocide, allegations the group denies.

The RSF’s new administration also named Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a former member of Sudan’s post-Bashir transitional government, as prime minister. Rebel leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu, who heads the SPLM-N faction in southern Kordofan, was named deputy to Dagalo in the council.

The announcement follows the RSF’s signing of a charter in Nairobi in February, outlining plans to form a government in the territories it controls. That move was widely condemned at the time by foreign governments, including the US, who rejected the legitimacy of any RSF-led authority.

In response to the latest declaration, Sudan’s internationally recognised government in Khartoum condemned what it called a “fake government" and urged the international community not to engage with it.

The creation of a parallel administration raises fears that Sudan could follow the path of Libya, which has been divided between rival governments for years. Rebel leader Yasir Arman warned that the RSF’s action could prolong the conflict and push Sudan further into fragmentation.

(With inputs from AP)

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News world Sudan's Paramilitary Declares Parallel Govt In War-Hit Darfur, Deepening Crisis