Who Did the RSF Appoint and What Does It Mean for Sudan?
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday announced a rival civilian-led government, naming Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’ayshi as prime minister and unveiling a 15-member presidential council. The move, made during a press conference in the RSF-controlled city of Nyala in South Darfur, directly challenges the military-backed administration and risks intensifying the country’s political fragmentation.
Al-Ta’ayshi, a former member of Sudan’s transitional sovereign council before the 2021 military coup, will lead what the RSF is calling the “government of peace and unity.” An RSF member told AFP that he will now begin forming a cabinet. The newly announced presidential council will be headed by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, with Abdelaziz al-Hilu, a rebel leader who controls parts of southern Sudan, as vice president.
How Is the Sudan Currently Divided?
Sudan remains deeply divided. The army, which recently retook the capital Khartoum, controls the northern, eastern, and central regions. Meanwhile, the RSF dominates most of Darfur and areas of Kordofan, where recent violence has resulted in hundreds of deaths, according to local human rights groups.
The army-aligned administration, internationally recognized and formed in May under former UN official Kamil Idris, remains incomplete, with three cabinet seats still vacant. The RSF’s latest announcement further complicates the already fragile landscape and threatens to derail ongoing peace efforts.
What Has Been the Reaction to the Parallel Government?
Among the RSF’s newly appointed leaders is El-Hadi Idris, named governor of Darfur. His appointment now pits him against Minni Arko Minawi, the region’s governor, aligned with the army. Minawi dismissed the RSF’s appointments, stating the group is now “sharing responsibility for the crimes and violations they committed equally with their allies.”
Saturday’s announcement follows a political charter signed in February between the RSF and allied armed and civilian groups during peace talks in Nairobi. The army has not yet officially responded to the RSF’s move.
The war, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Dagalo, has pushed Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and access to essential services like healthcare and clean water has collapsed in many parts of the country.
By Risper Akinyi
