Sudan's paramilitary RSF installs parallel government despite international rejection
Nyala, Sudan (PANA) – Despite the rejection and condemnation by the international community of the declaration by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of a rival administration in parts of the East African country it controls, it has gone ahead to install a parallel government.
Sudan Tribune, a Sudanese news outlet, reported that the president and members of the Presidential Council of the parallel government were sworn into office on Saturday, in a ceremony that revealed a fundamental change to the country’s official emblem.
The step worsens the volatile situation in the country where two years of a bitter war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions, created one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises and destroyed the country's infrastructure.
The UN Security Council in rejecting the RSF's declaration last month of a rival administration warned that it threatened the country’s unity and risked worsening the brutal conflict between the militia and forces of the military government.
It also warned that the step posed “a direct threat to Sudan’s territorial integrity” and could fragment the country, fuel the fighting, and deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Sudan Tribune said a video of the ceremony showed a modified version of Sudan’s national emblem, the Secretarybird. The new design places “Republic of Sudan” at the top and the motto “Freedom, Justice, Equality” at the bottom, with eight stars added to the bird’s centre, the reports said.
The original emblem features the motto “Victory is Ours” at the top and “Republic of Sudan” at the bottom.
The reports said the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, swore the constitutional oath before chief justice Ramadan Ibrahim Shamila in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, the Presidential Council said in a statement.
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, the statement added. He took the group’s “Sincere Declaration,” an oath of service to its principles of secularism and social justice.
Shamila serves as the chief justice in a civilian authority the SPLM-N established in areas it controls in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.
Sudan Tribune said 13 Presidential 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), Mabrouk Mubarak Salim (Eastern), Abu al-Qasim al-Rasheed (Northern), and Faris al-Nour (Khartoum).
The other new members are Al-Tahir Hajar, Mohamed Yousef, Hamed Hamdeen, Abbas Ibrahim, and Khuloud Fathi.
The reports said the Tasis alliance, the political umbrella for the new authority, has agreed to a transitional constitution that provides for a secular state, the right to self-determination and decentralised government.
Sudan Tribune said hours before the ceremony, the SAF conducted a drone strike on positions in Nyala, which the new administration has designated as its headquarters.
The groups allied under the Tasis umbrella control most of the Darfur region and large parts of South and West Kordofan, as well as smaller pockets of territory in North Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Last month, Ambassadors of the UN Security Council reaffirmed “unwavering” support for Sudan’s sovereignty, independence and unity, stressing that unilateral actions that undermine these principles jeopardise not only Sudan’s future but also peace and stability across the wider region.
The Council called on the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces to return to talks aimed at reaching a lasting ceasefire and creating the conditions for a political settlement involving all political and social groups.
The goal, they said, is a credible, inclusive transition to a civilian-led government that can lead the country towards democratic elections and deliver “a peaceful, stable and prosperous future” in line with the Sudanese people’s aspirations.
The statement recalled the Council's resolution 2736 (2024), which demands the RSF lift its siege of El Fasher, halt the fighting, and de-escalate tensions in and around the North Darfur capital.
Famine and extreme food insecurity are at risk of spreading in the city, which has been under siege since April 2024.
The UN Security Council stressed that perpetrators of serious violations must be held to account.
They also urged all UN Member States to avoid any external interference that fuels conflict and instability, support efforts for durable peace, and comply with relevant international law and Council resolutions, including resolution 2750.
The Council reiterated its commitment to supporting the people of Sudan in their quest for peace, security, stability and prosperity.
It also voiced full support for the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, and his work with the warring sides and civil society to secure a sustainable settlement through dialogue.
An international coalition that groups five governments beside the United Nations and the African Union recently issued a joint statement urging the warring parties to allow humanitarian aid passage and respect human rights.
The ALPS (Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan), which brings together the Governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and the African Union and United Nations, on Wednesday said it was "appalled by the continuous deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Sudan".
It referred particularly to the growing number of people in situations of severe malnutrition and famine, and by the wide range of access impediments that are delaying or blocking the response in key areas.
ALPS lamented that Sudanese civilians continued to pay the highest price for this war.
It added in a joint statement published by the US Department of the State, that with the situation in Sudan worsening and humanitarian needs reaching critical levels, urgent action is needed by the conflict parties to protect civilians and allow and facilitate humanitarian access to those in need.
This is in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, signed in May 2023.
It further added that the warring parties should allow and facilitate a sustained UN humanitarian presence, across the country, notably in areas of acute humanitarian needs, particularly in Darfur and the Kordofan regions.
-0- PANA MA 31Aug2025
