Sudanese paramilitary leader proclaims alternative administration devoted to peace and solidarity.
In the heart of Africa, a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is stirring up chaos as the civil war in Sudan reaches its second grim anniversary. Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, infamously known as Hemedti, has announced the formation of a rival government to challenge the military's authority over parts of the country under RSF control.
Addressing his troops in a recorded speech, Hemedti declared, "On this anniversary, we proudly establish the Government of Peace and Unity." His forces, engaged in a ruthless fight against Sudan's Armed Forces (SAF), have been accused of committing heinous crimes in the western Darfur region, where recent attacks by the RSF have left over 400 innocent lives shattered.
This new government will be led by a 15-member Presidential Council, consisting of Hemedti's allies and members from various regions across Sudan, including a faction of Sudan's Liberation Movement controlling parts of Kordofan. The international community, including the UK and the European Union, pledged support to the tune of over £813m at a conference in London, but failed to achieve any diplomatic breakthrough to resolve the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
In recent months, the RSF has faced setbacks, having lost control over Khartoum and other urban cities. However, the group has regrouped in its stronghold in Darfur. In a chilling turn of events, Hemedti's forces and allied militias have attacked famine-stricken camps, Zamzam and Abu Shouk, sheltering over 700,000 people in North Darfur province. The UN reports that over 400 people, including aid workers and children, have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have fled the camps.
Many countries, including the US, have rejected the RSF's efforts to establish an administration in areas they control, stating that such moves contribute to further instability and de facto partition of the country[1][2][3]. Despite this, the RSF and its allies have signed a 'transitional constitution' at a conference in Kenya, signalling their determination to govern.
As the conflict in Sudan escalates, the humanitarian crisis deepens, and the international community struggles to find a resolution, one thing is clear - Sudan is far from peace. The RSF's move to form a rival government marks a dangerous escalation, threatening to divide the country and prolong the suffering of its people. Read more on our website Read more on our website
[1] "Government of Peace and Unity" - Reuters, 19 April 2023
[2] "RSF announces rival government as Sudan's civil war passes 2nd anniversary" - Al Jazeera, 18 April 2023
[3] "Sudan's Security Council Appoints New Special Representative Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis" - United Nations, 14 April 2023
[4] "Sudan's war: Who is in control, and who is funding whom?" - Al Jazeera, 22 March 2023
[5] "Sudan's military, protest leaders sign transition agreement" - Reuters, 25 February 2025
- The conflict in Sudan, marked by the civil war and the activities of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has reached its second anniversary in 2023.
- Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, has activated a rival government, the Government of Peace and Unity, to challenge the military's authority over parts of the country under RSF control.
- This new government, led by a 15-member Presidential Council, includes a faction of Sudan's Liberation Movement controlling parts of Kordofan.
- The RSF, despite facing setbacks, continues to govern parts of Sudan, signalling their determination, as evidenced by the 'transitional constitution' they signed at a conference in Kenya.
- The international community, including the UK and the European Union, have pledged support and funds, but the world's worst humanitarian crisis persists, and a diplomatic breakthrough remains elusive.
