Sudan’s political crisis deepens as RSF launches parallel state

THE COMMANDER of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, was sworn in last week to lead a self-declared parallel government in Sudan, deepening the country’s political crisis.

- NICHOLAS MWANGI

Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces since May 2023, which has seen millions of people displaced and tens of thousands killed.

A historic hot spot in Sudan, Darfur, is experiencing intensified violence, as an end to the conflict seems more and more out of reach.

Hemedti took the oath before Chief Justice Ramadan Ibrahim Shamila in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The ceremony marks the latest escalation in the RSF's bid to formalise authority in parts of Sudan, amid widespread accusations of atrocities committed under its command.

The leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, was sworn in as deputy head of the council, and thirteen council members were sworn in.

They include eight new regional governors: Al-Hadi Idris (Darfur), Jagoud Makwar (South Kordofan), Joseph Tuka (New Funj), Mohamed Mohamed Hamed (Kordofan), Salih Issa (Central region), Mabrouk Mubarak Salim (Eastern region), Abu al-Qasim al-Rasheed (Northern region), and Faris al-Nour (Khartoum).

The swearing-in follows the controversial establishment of a parallel Sudanese government in Nairobi earlier this year. The move triggered a diplomatic fallout between Sudan and Kenya.