Sudanese paramilitary group says its forming a rival government

CAIRO — A notorious paramilitary group fighting against the Sudanese military said it's forming a rival government that will rule parts of the country controlled by the group, including the western Darfur region where the United Nations says recent attacks by the group have killed over 400 people.

Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, announced the move in a speech on Tuesday as the northeastern African nation marked two years of civil war.

''On this anniversary, we proudly declare the establishment of the Government of Peace and Unity,'' Dagalo said in a recorded speech, adding that other groups have joined the RSF-led administration, including a faction of the Sudan's Liberation Movement, which controls parts of Kordofan region.

Dagalo, who is sanctioned by the United States over accusations that his forces committed genocide in Darfur, said that he and his allies were also establishing ''a 15-member Presidential Council'' representing all of Sudan's regions.

The RSF has suffered multiple battlefield setbacks, losing the capital of Khartoum and other cities in recent months but has since regrouped in its stronghold in Darfur. That raises concerns that Sudan is heading towards partition — or a prolonged conflict like in neighboring Libya, where two rival administrations have been fighting for power for over a decade.

The U.N. said Wednesday it was extremely concerned over the RSF's move and that ''preserving Sudan's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity is a fundamental principle for a sustainable resolution of the conflict and the long-term stability of the country.''

''The formation of a parallel government would not bring Sudan any closer to a resolution of the conflict,'' U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, calling on the international community to find ways to help the Sudanese people end the war.

Sudan was plunged into chaos on April 15, 2023 when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country.

Since then, at least 24,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far higher, and about 13 million have been driven from their homes, including 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries.

The fighting has been marked by atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups.

Dagalo's announcement came days after his forces and allied militias rampaged through two famine-hit camps, which shelter some 700,000 Sudanese who fled their homes, in North Darfur province.

The multi-day attack on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps killed more than 400 people, including 12 aid workers and dozens of children, the U.N. humanitarian office said, citing local sources.

___