(MENAFN) The African Union, Arab League, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have expressed strong disapproval over the announcement made by Sudan's paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), regarding the establishment of a competing administration amid the ongoing conflict within the nation.

In a declaration issued on Tuesday, the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union cautioned that such an initiative might further splinter Sudan, which has been mired in a devastating internal conflict between the RSF and the state military for more than two years.

“Reaffirming respect for Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the council urged all African Union member states and the international community not to recognize or support the so-called parallel government,” the PSC declared.

The announcement was made on Saturday by the Leadership Council of the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS), a political alliance affiliated with the RSF.

The council proclaimed the formation of a new government, promising the creation of an “inclusive homeland” rooted in the principles of freedom, justice, and equality.

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF leader, was appointed as the head of a 15-member presidential council, while Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu, a notable insurgent commander reportedly in control of substantial territory and forces in South Kordofan, was named deputy chairman.

Before the conflict erupted in mid-April 2023, following a prolonged period of mounting friction, General Dagalo had governed Sudan jointly with General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under the framework of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC).

The two military leaders had previously collaborated in orchestrating the 2019 military takeover that ousted the long-serving former president, Omar al-Bashir.

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