Sudan crisis: Paramilitary RSF and allies sign charter to bring back ‘peace and unity’

Nearly a couple of years into a brutal conflict, Sudan is seeing an “unprecedented” humanitarian crisis. Half of the population is facing acute hunger. The fighting has already killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 14 million people from their homes, as per UN.

The Sudan crisis represents malnutrition, population displacement and chronic insecurity. The UN system is preparing to launch a call for record funding of $4.2 billion to support aid operations in the country.

The situation in Sudan has been described as the largest and most serious displacement, humanitarian and protection crisis across the globe. Tensions exacerbated in 2023, leading to the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF engaging in a long conflict.

RSF and allies sign charter to establish parallel gov’t

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied political and armed groups recently signed a charter to establish a parallel government of peace and unity. The signing ceremony happened behind closed doors in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Abdelaziz al-Hilu, a rebel leader from Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) is one of the signatories. He controls a significant portion of the territory and troops in South Kordofan state. He has long demanded that Sudan embrace secularism.

Deputy and brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, also signed the charter. The government’s formation is expected to be announced from inside the country in the coming days, according to a former official.

Charter calls for “freedom, equality and justice”

The charter – signed late on Saturday or on Sunday – calls for “a secular, democratic, decentralised state based on freedom, equality and justice.” It has been seen by Agence France-Presse, a French international media agency headquartered in Paris.

The charter also outlines plans for a “unified, professional, national army.” The proposed parallel government seeks to end the brutal fighting, ensure unhindered humanitarian assistance and integrate armed groups into a single, national force.

The RSF side currently controls more of the south and has border access to Libya, Chad, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The Sudanese armed forces, on the other hand, is on the verge of recapturing the capital Khartoum.

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Sudan crisis is of “staggering scale and brutality”

The charter is likely to increase the fragmentation of the country and risk making the crisis more serious, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Guterres said. But the signatories denied any intentions to fragment the country, reported France24.

The UN has strongly condemned the fighting in Sudan. Recently, the Secretary-General described the situation in the country as a catastrophe of “staggering scale and brutality”. Some 30.4 million people are in need of assistance.

The conflict has led to an economic collapse, sending the prices of essential items soaring, putting them beyond the reach of many households. Humanitarian efforts are significantly hampered by the lack of security.