Sudan's RSF Declares Rival Government

Published APR 16 2025

Story

Above: Soldiers of the Sudanese army or affiliated forces pose for a picture while pumping their fists at the damaged presidential palace after recapturing the complex from RSF paramilitaries in Khartoum on March 21, 2025. Image credit: AFP/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced the formation of a rival "Government of Peace and Unity" on April 15, 2025, marking the second anniversary of a devastating civil war that the United Nations (UN) claims has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 12.4 million displaced and tens of thousands killed.
The New Arab
UN News
The move can be traced back to February 2025, when the RSF and its allies signed a political charter in Nairobi, Kenya, establishing a transitional constitution and a pathway to forming a parallel government in opposition to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Al Jazeera
ap
In an address on Tuesday, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, claimed that the new government would be "a broad civilian coalition that reflects the true face of Sudan" and promised that the RSF was not building "a parallel state" along with a parallel government.
Rapid Support Forces
Hemedti also pledged that the new government would guarantee "equal rights for all," a "separation of religion and state," a decentralized federal system, a non-political army reflective of Sudan's "demographic diversity" and a 15-member presidential council to represent all of Sudan's regions.
Rapid Support Forces
The announcements come amid a series of military setbacks for the RSF, with the paramilitary group losing control of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, to the SAF in March 2025.
The Times (UK)
Middle East Eye
In February, the UN Secretary-General cautioned that the RSF’s political charter "risks further entrenching the crisis." Following the group's latest announcement, Cambridge University professor Sharath Srinivasan warned that the RSF's growing political foothold in Darfur could lead to a "de facto separation."
United Nations
Al Jazeera

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The RSF is building the only realistic future for Sudan. The Government of Peace and Unity will be a broad coalition that reflects the true face of the country, guarantees equal rights for all its citizens, separates religion from state, and ensures every region of Sudan has a voice in the affairs of the state. In stark contrast, an al-Burhan-led regime would represent a return to authoritarianism and risk plunging Sudan deeper into crisis.

Rapid Support Forces

Narrative B

The RSF's declaration of a rival government threatens Sudan's territorial integrity and stability. The announcement and the RSF's continued entrenchment in Darfur risk turning battle lines into permanent borders. This would only exacerbate the crisis, as Sudan's unity remains key for a sustainable resolution of the conflict.

United Nations