Khartoum [Sudan], March 1: The recent attempt by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to form a "parallel government" in Sudan has sparked domestic and global concern over deeper division in the war-torn country.
On Feb. 22, the RSF and its allied political and armed groups signed "a political charter" in Kenya expressing intention to form a "parallel government" in Sudan. The charter was later dismissed by the Sudanese government as "stillborn."
The latest development came as Sudan has been engulfed in a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF for almost two years. The violence, starting from April 2023, has left over 29,600 dead and displaced more than 15 million people, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a crisis monitoring group, and the International Organization for Migration.
The signing of the "charter" was a result of the war nearing its second year, with both sides entrenched in opposing stances, political analyst Abdul-Raziq Ziyada told Xinhua.
"The failure of political settlement initiatives led to this reality," Ziyada said.
The signing showed "an expansion of the conflict and a shift in the balance of power," Khalid Dirar, a political science professor at al-Rasid Center for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.
"The features of division in Sudan have become more evident," Dirar said, warning that the RSF's move to form a parallel government should not be underestimated.
This move "will certainly lead to a change in the balance of power. The RSF now has a foothold in areas outside Darfur (region)," Ahmed Ismail, a Sudanese military expert, told Xinhua.
It will be unwise to downplay the risks of a "parallel government," noted political analyst Abdul-Rahman Awad.
"The existence of two governments will have political, security, and economic consequences on the already dire situation in Sudan," Awad told Xinhua.
Meanwhile, political analyst Abdul-Khaliq Mahjoub predicted that forming a "parallel government" will face significant difficulties.
"The first obstacle will be developments on the battlefield, particularly the advancement being achieved by the SAF. If the army manages to lift the siege on El Fasher and advance toward the other cities of Darfur, the RSF will find no suitable geographical area to establish its anticipated government," he told Xinhua.
Globally, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced deep concern over the signing of the "charter."
"This further escalation in the conflict in the Sudan deepens the fragmentation of the country and risks further entrenching the crisis," Guterres said Monday.
"Preserving the Sudan's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity remains key for a sustainable resolution of the conflict and the long-term stability of the country and the wider region," he noted.
On Friday, Saudi Arabia, which has been patronizing negotiations between the Sudanese warring parties in Jeddah together with the United States since May 6, 2023, also voiced its rejection of forming a "parallel government" in Sudan.
Saudi Arabia rejects "any illegitimate steps or measures taken outside the framework of the Republic of Sudan's official institutions that may affect its unity and do not reflect the will of its people, including the call to form a parallel government," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on social media platform X.
In the meantime, the signing of the "charter," which took place in Nairobi, has raised concern over escalating tensions between Sudan and Kenya.
On Feb. 20, Sudan's Foreign Ministry summoned its Ambassador to Kenya Kamal Jubara for consultations, "in protest against Kenya hosting meetings of rebel militia and its allies in another hostile move against Sudan," according to a report by Sudan's official SUNA news agency.
On Monday, the Sudanese government vowed to take escalatory measures against Kenya for hosting activities by the RSF.
"We will take economic actions, including banning the import of Kenyan products, especially since Sudan is one of Kenya's largest tea importers," Sudan's Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Hussein al-Amin said at a press conference.
Al-Amin's remarks sent a strong message of Sudan's dissatisfaction with Kenya's stance, economic analyst Al-Sammani Abdalla told Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
