Sudan paramilitary leader Hemedti declares establishment of rival government

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo says the rival government "reflects the true face of Sudan" in a move that comes as foreign ministers and humanitarian leaders gathered to mark the two-year anniversary of the Sudan conflict. The chief of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Tuesday declared the establishment of a government rivalling the official administration aligned with the army, two years into the country's brutal war. "On this anniversary, we proudly declare the establishment of the Government of Peace and Unity, a broad coalition that reflects the true face of Sudan," Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, better known as Hemedti, said in a statement on Telegram. It comes as the UK hosted a high-level international conference on Sudan with the African Union, EU, France, and Germany, where foreign ministers and humanitarian leaders gathered to mark the two-year anniversary of the Sudan conflict. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy had warned at the conference that the biggest obstacle was not funding, but “a lack of political will.” RSF lost territory Since April 15, 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling the army for control of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000. In recent weeks, the RSF has lost significant territory across Sudan to government forces.