Latest news with #Hemedti
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sudanese Coalition Led by Paramilitary RSF Announces Parallel Government
A Sudanese coalition led by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Saturday a parallel government, a move fiercely opposed by the army that could drive the country further towards partition as a two-year-old civil war rages. The government led by RSF General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, was announced west of the country. The RSF and its allies signed in March a transitional constitution outlining a federal, secular state divided into eight regions, Reuters said. 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, which has recently regained control over the capital Khartoum. 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, coups, poverty and hunger. In February, the RSF and other allied rebel leaders agreed in Kenya to form a government for a "New Sudan," aiming to challenge the army-led administration's legitimacy and secure advanced arms imports. Dagalo, a former militia leader and one of Sudan's wealthiest people, known as Hemedti, was hit with sanctions by the US, which accused him of genocide earlier this year. He had previously shared power with Burhan after veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir's ouster in 2019. However, a 2021 coup by the two forces ousted civilian politicians, sparking a war over troop integration during a planned transition to democracy. Burhan was sanctioned in January by the US which accused him of choosing war over negotiations to bring an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. The ongoing conflict has devastated Sudan, creating an "unprecedented" humanitarian crisis in the country, with half the population facing spreading hunger and famine, according to the United Nations.
Leaders
3 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
Sudan's RSF-led Coalition Forms Parallel Government amid Fears of Country's Split
A political coalition led by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Saturday the formation of a rival government in Sudan, reported AFP. The move challenges the military-backed administration, raising concerns over creating a permanent division in the war-torn Sudan and further deepening its crisis after more than two years of deadly conflict. RSF Parallel Government During a press conference in the RSF-controlled city of Nyala in South Darfur, the RSF announced the formation of a 15-member presidential council, with RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), as its president. The rebel leader, Abdelaziz al-Hilu, who controls parts of southern Sudan, was appointed as vice president. Moreover, Mohamed Hassan al-Ta'ayshi, a former member of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council from 2019 to 2021, will act as prime minister. The council also includes several political figures, former officials and newly-appointed governors. The RSF appointed El-Hadi Idris as the governor of Darfur, which now has two rival governors, as current governor, Minni Arko Minawi, is aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Sudan's Conflict The civil war in Sudan broke out in April 2023, with the SAF and RSF engaging in deadly fighting. The conflict has spilt the country in two, with the SAF controlling the center, north and east, and the RSF holding almost all of the western Darfur region and parts of Kordofan. In March 2025, the SAF regained control over most parts of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, in a significant victory for the country's army against the RSF. The SAF also maintain control of El-Fasher, located more than 800 kilometers southwest of Khartoum. El-Fasher is the only state capital in Darfur the RSF does not control. The UN described the war in Sudan as 'the world's most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis,' killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions inside Sudan and to neighboring countries. It has displaced more than 14 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine. SAF-aligned Government In May 2025, the Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, appointed Kamil Idriss as the country's new prime minister. The move followed a pledge in February to form a technocratic wartime government to help 'complete what remains of our military objectives, which is liberating Sudan from these rebels,' Al-Burhan said. However, Idriss' government, which enjoys international recognition, still has three unfilled cabinet positions. Fears of More Division The RSF parallel government followed an agreement signed in February among paramilitary, rebel and civilian groups during talks in Nairobi, which set the groundwork for the parallel government. The paramilitary group announced in April it would form a parallel government, sparking international concerns that the country could remain split. During the London Conference on Sudan in mid-April, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Waleed Al-Khuraiji, condemned attempts to form parallel governments as 'illegitimate,' warning they risk derailing peace efforts and deepening divisions. He insisted solutions must respect Sudan's sovereignty and involve only its legitimate institutions. The RSF recent announcement has sparked fears of deepening divisions in Sudan as it directly challenges the internationally-recognized government. In the light of this, UN officials warned that the RSF parallel government could further exacerbate Sudan's fragmentation and complicate efforts to end the conflict. Short link : Post Views: 3
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sudan: RSF forms rival government, deepening fissure
Deepening the crisis in civil war-torn Sudan, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday announced the formation of a rival civilian-led government, raising fears of permanent division in the country. At a press conference in the RSF-controlled city of Nyala in South Darfur, the paramilitary announced a 15-member presidential council with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, as its president. Rebel leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu, head of the SPLM-N, was named vice president. Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, a civilian politician, was appointed prime minister. He was a former member of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council from 2019 until the 2021 military coup. New regional governors, including one for Darfur, were also announced. The region now has rival governors from each side. Rebels look to establish secular 'New Sudan' The RSF move stoked fears of escalating Sudan's 27-month civil war as it directly challenges the internationally recognized army-led government, which was formed in May under former United Nations official Kamil Idris but remains incomplete with unfilled Cabinet positions. An agreement in February among paramilitary, rebel, and civilian groups paved the way for the new government looking to establish a secular "New Sudan," the RSF said. International legitimacy will also allow the faction to secure advanced arms imports. The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has not formally responded but had previously condemned any attempt to create a parallel administration. UN officials warned that the RSF's formation of a parallel government risks further fragmenting Sudan and undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. How did the conflict in Sudan begin? The conflict began in April 2023 as a power struggle between Burhan and Dagalo, once allies who ousted long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019 before turning on each other in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy. The country is now effectively split with the army controlling the north, east, and center, having recently retaken the capital Khartoum, while the RSF holds most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, where fighting has surged. Meanwhile, Burhan is under US sanctions for the usage of chemical weapons in 2024 against the RSF. Since the war began up to 13 million people have been displaced and large parts of the population are on the brink of famine, according to UN data. Around 150,000 people are estimated to have been killed. Edited by Sean Sinico
LBCI
3 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Sudanese coalition led by paramilitary RSF announces parallel government
A Sudanese coalition led by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Saturday a parallel government, a move fiercely opposed by the army that could drive the country further towards partition as a two-year-old civil war rages. The government led by RSF General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, was announced west of the country. The RSF and its allies signed in March a transitional constitution outlining a federal, secular state divided into eight regions. Reuters
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sudanese coalition led by paramilitary RSF announces parallel Government
A Sudanese coalition led by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces announced on Saturday (July 26, 2025) the members of a parallel government, a move opposed by the Army, its rival in a 27-month war that could drive the country further towards partition. RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was announced head of the presidential council, while Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, head of the SPLM-N, one of the country's largest rebel groups, was made his deputy on a 15-member council. Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, a civilian politician, was named prime minister, and regional governors were announced in a press conference from Nyala, the largest city in the Darfur region which the RSF controls most of. The Sudanese army has pushed the paramilitaries out of the center of the country, while deadly fighting rages over the center-west Kordofan region and Darfur's traditional capital of al-Fashir. In February, the RSF and its allied politicians and rebel groups agreed to form a government for a secular "New Sudan," aiming to challenge the army-led administration's legitimacy and secure advanced arms imports. The government announced on Saturday includes governors for regions of the country firmly controlled by the army. 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 for years been plagued by conflicts, coups, poverty and hunger. Dagalo, a former militia leader and one of Sudan's wealthiest people, known as Hemedti, was hit with sanctions by the U.S., which accused him of genocide earlier this year. Burhan was sanctioned in January by the U.S., which accused him of choosing war over negotiations to bring an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. The two men had previously shared power after veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir's ouster in 2019. However, a 2021 coup by the two forces ousted civilian politicians, sparking a war over troop integration during a planned transition to democracy. The Army has in recent weeks appointed a prime minister and permanent cabinet members for the first time since 2021. The ongoing conflict has devastated Sudan, creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the country, with half the population facing spreading hunger and famine, according to the United Nations.
