Sudan paramilitary chief declares 'rival government' on second anniversary of civil war

Sudan's paramilitary chief declared the establishment of government rivalling the army-backed administration on Tuesday, exactly two years into a war which has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The war that erupted on April 15, 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million (1.3 crore), with no sign of peace on the horizon.

"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," Rapid Support Forces (RSF) head Mohamed Hamdan Daglo said in a statement on Telegram.

Daglo added that the paramilitaries, along with "civil and political forces", had signed a transitional constitution, describing it as a "roadmap for a new Sudan."

The fighting has pitted the RSF against Sudan's regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. RSF head Daglo is al-Burhan's former deputy.

In late February, the paramilitary and its allies signed a charter in Kenya declaring the formation of a "government of peace and unity" in areas under their control.

That charter provides for a 15-member presidential council "representing all regions, symbolising our voluntary unity".

Analysts have previously warned that the conflict could leave Sudan permanently divided between the warring sides, both of which have been accusaed of abuses.

With the RSF emboldened in Darfur, "the territorial division that's occurring could mean a de facto separation," said Sharath Srinivasan, a professor at Cambridge University who studies Sudan.

The United Nations estimates that more than 400 people have been killed in the offensive.

(With AFP inputs)