Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and allied groups on Saturday announced a civilian prime minister and a new presidential council to lead a rival government, escalating tensions with the military-led administration and deepening fears of the country’s potential breakup.
The announcement, made during a press conference broadcast from the RSF-controlled city of Nyala in South Darfur, comes more than two years into the war between the RSF and the army.
The RSF appointed Mohamed Hassan al-Ta'ayshi – a former member of Sudan's transitional sovereign council from 2019 until the 2021 military coup – as prime minister of what it calls the "government of peace and unity."
Sudan is split, with the army controlling the north, east and center, having recently retaken the capital Khartoum, while the RSF holds most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, where recent attacks have killed hundreds, according to local rights groups.
The internationally recognized army-aligned government, formed in May and headed by former U.N. official Kamil Idris, remains incomplete, with three cabinet positions still unfilled.
