Sudanese RSF Forms Parallel Government Amid Civil War, Humanitarian Crisis

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), have announced the formation of a parallel government in western Sudan amid an ongoing two-year civil war. This new administration, supported by allied rebel factions and based on a transitional constitution advocating a federal, secular state, directly challenges the authority of the national army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, which has condemned the move and vowed to regain control of all Sudanese territory including the capital, Khartoum. The conflict, rooted in power struggles following the 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir and subsequent coups, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis, with the UN reporting widespread hunger and famine affecting half of Sudan's population. Both Dagalo and Burhan have been sanctioned by the U.S. for their roles in prolonging the conflict and rejecting peaceful negotiations. The RSF's declaration risks pushing Sudan toward partition, intensifying instability and complicating prospects for a democratic transition. The situation remains fluid as fighting continues and the humanitarian emergency deepens.