KHARTOUM (Realist English). A Sudanese coalition led by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has announced the formation of a rival government, challenging the military-led authorities in Khartoum as the country’s devastating civil war stretches into its third year.
The group, operating under the name Leadership Council of the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS), declared that Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti and commander of the RSF, will chair a newly formed 15-member presidential council. The alliance named Mohammed Hassan Osman al-Ta’ishi, a former civilian leader, as prime minister. The new governing body will also include regional governors, according to a statement released by TASIS.
“On the occasion of this historic achievement, the leadership council extends its greetings and congratulations to the Sudanese people who have endured the flames of devastating wars for decades,” the statement said. The coalition reaffirmed its aim to build “an inclusive homeland and a new secular, democratic, decentralized, and voluntarily unified Sudan” grounded in “freedom, justice, and equality.”
The announcement risks further fragmenting Sudan’s political landscape, potentially creating parallel institutions in the midst of an already violent power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
In May, the SAF claimed it had expelled RSF fighters from the capital. However, intense fighting has persisted, particularly in Darfur, where the RSF has besieged the strategic city of el-Fasher. Humanitarian conditions in the region have worsened, with severe food insecurity on the rise.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 following a breakdown in the power-sharing arrangement between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Hemedti, has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 13 million people, according to UN figures—making it one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have been accused of serious human rights violations. In a recent report, Amnesty International alleged that RSF fighters have used sexual violence as a weapon of war to dominate and displace communities. In response, the United States imposed sanctions on Hemedti earlier this year, citing the RSF’s execution of civilians and obstruction of humanitarian aid.
Sudan’s turmoil stems from the 2019 ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir, followed by a fragile transition toward civilian rule that was derailed by a military coup in 2021. The subsequent breakdown of trust between Hemedti and al-Burhan escalated into open warfare in 2023.
Despite multiple mediation efforts, no durable ceasefire has emerged. The two generals continue to vie for control of the country’s resources and institutions, with no clear end to the violence in sight. While their rivalry lacks a clear ideological basis, the consequences of their struggle have proven catastrophic for Sudan’s civilian population.
