African Union rejects RSF’s rival government in Sudan amid escalating conflict

Just days after Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, announced the formation of a 15-member governing council, the African Union is pushing back. The bloc is urging member states and the international community not to recognize the rival government, warning that the RSF’s move could further fragment Sudan and derail fragile peace efforts.

The RSF has named Mohamed Hassan al-Ta'ayshi as prime minister and its leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, as head of a newly declared presidential council.

The RSF has been locked in a brutal war with Sudan’s army since April 2023. The army maintains control over Khartoum and much of the north, east, and central regions. Meanwhile, the RSF holds sway over most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, where recent attacks have killed hundreds, according to local human rights groups.

The African Union says the creation of a parallel government only deepens the crisis and threatens to unravel any remaining hopes for a negotiated settlement.