Recent developments in Sudan have accelerated following the announcement of a parallel transitional government led by the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti), with its capital in Nyala, the largest city in the Darfur region in western Sudan. This move is considered a major turning point in the ongoing war that has lasted more than two years.

Hemeti officially assumed the presidency of the Sovereign Council representing the highest political authority of the “Taasis Government” last Saturday evening. The 15 council members took the constitutional oath before him, including the head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu, the council’s vice president, Taher Abu Bakr Hajir, Al-Hadi Idris, Jaqud Makwar Marada, Fares Al-Noor, and Hamid Mohamed Hamed.

In its first meeting on Sunday evening, chaired by Hemeti, the Sovereign Council appointed Mohamed Hassan Al-Taayshi as Prime Minister and approved the council’s structure and strategic plans for the Taasis coalition government in the upcoming phase.

After his appointment, Hemeti stated that the goals of the Taasis Government are to stop the wars and preserve Sudan’s territorial unity, but his statements have not eased fears of Sudan being torn into small states.

While no official comment has been made by the Sudanese government or military leadership on this step, the Darfur governor, Minni Arko Minawi, posted on the platform “X” that the announcement of the Taasis government in Nyala was due to the Sudanese government’s failure to prevent this step in a timely manner despite available mechanisms.

Earlier, the Sudanese government called on all international organizations and governments to condemn the formation of the parallel government and not to recognize it, considering any dealings with it a violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Many do not rule out that the continued existence of two governments, amid the absence of a political solution, may create a new reality in Sudan complicating the chances of reaching a settlement to end the war soon.

Jaafar Hassan, official spokesperson for the Civil Alliance (Sumood), told Asharq Al-Awsat that the announcement of a parallel authority in Nyala to the government led by the army from Port Sudan in eastern Sudan will not grant either legitimacy, adding that peace will not come from governments established during war.

He added that “the two governments seek to legitimize fighting and continue the war to the utmost to achieve special goals.”

Hassan said: “Our position is clear, that the two warring parties should go to the negotiating table to end the war and preserve Sudan’s unity, territory, and people.”

The spokesperson for the Sumood coalition, led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, believes that the inevitable result of having two rival governments claiming legitimacy in Port Sudan and Nyala will lead to the fragmentation of the country and open the door for increased foreign interventions, thus turning Sudan into a battleground for regional and international rivalries at the expense of the Sudanese people.

The Rapid Support Forces and allied factions continue to complete the formation of their parallel government structures to the army-led government based in Port Sudan, despite regional and international warnings rejecting Sudan’s slide into a “two governments” scenario and serious fears among Sudanese of a repeat of South Sudan’s secession.

The Rapid Support Forces control four states in Darfur and are besieging El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the last stronghold of the Sudanese army, and also control vast areas in West and North Kordofan.

The Taasis coalition was founded in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 22, comprising the Rapid Support Forces, armed movements, political parties, and civil forces, most notably the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, whose forces control areas in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains, the Revolutionary Front comprising several armed movements in Darfur, wings of the Umma and Democratic Unionist parties, and independent figures.