(MENAFN) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), officially took the oath Sunday as leader of a newly established parallel government.

The Sudanese Founding Alliance, a coalition spearheaded by the RSF, confirmed that Dagalo was sworn in during a ceremony held in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State in western Sudan.

The coalition also announced that Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu was sworn in as Dagalo’s deputy, alongside members of a 13-seat presidential council.

This development follows the coalition’s July 26 declaration announcing Dagalo’s leadership of the rival government.

Earlier in February, the RSF and allied factions signed a political charter in Kenya to form this parallel authority—an act strongly condemned by Sudan’s official government in Khartoum.

On August 14, the United Nations Security Council explicitly rejected the establishment of a parallel governing body in RSF-controlled areas, deeming it a breach of Sudan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, as fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF has resulted in over 20,000 deaths and displaced 14 million people, according to the UN and local sources. However, research from several US universities suggests the actual death toll may be closer to 130,000.

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