Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied political and military groups have formed a rival “government of peace and unity.” They signed the charter late on Saturday. Al-Hadi Idris and Ibrahim al-Mirghani confirmed the agreement to Reuters.
Key figures behind the new government
Abdelaziz al-Hilu, a powerful rebel leader in South Kordofan, backs the new government. Al-Hilu controls vast territories and has a strong military presence. He has long called for Sudan to adopt secularism.
Although the United Nations has raised concerns, the new government is unlikely to gain widespread recognition. Still, it shows how Sudan is fragmenting as the civil war enters its second year.
The RSF’s position and the military response
The RSF has taken control of most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan. However, the Sudanese army is pushing them back from central Sudan. The army has condemned the formation of a rival government.
Idris, a former official and armed group leader, announced that the government would be officially introduced within Sudan in the coming days.
The charter outlines plans for a “secular, democratic, non-centralised state” with a single national army. However, armed groups would still be allowed to exist. The government aims to unify Sudan and end the war. The signatories argue that the current government, based in Port Sudan and aligned with the army, has failed to achieve these goals.
Rising diplomatic tensions and international reactions
The signing took place privately, unlike a high-profile event in Nairobi earlier in the week. Both events were held in Kenya, drawing criticism from Sudan. Sudan also accused Kenya’s President William Ruto of making the situation worse, and some domestic observers criticised his involvement.
The Sudanese government has also accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the RSF with military and financial aid. UN experts and US lawmakers have backed these claims, although the UAE denies them.
This week, Sudan amended its constitutional document to give the army more power. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced that the army would soon reveal its “war cabinet.”
