Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have taken a significant step toward the potential partition of the country, announcing plans to work with a new civilian-led government for the territories they control. This marks a shift after 20 months of civil war, with the RSF currently holding vast areas of central and western Sudan, including most of the capital, Khartoum, and Darfur. The new government would challenge the army-led administration based in Port Sudan, which was forced out of Khartoum and is recognized internationally.
The RSF has claimed it will only take on a military and security role, with governance left to civilian forces. While details of the administration remain unclear, it is expected to be based in Khartoum, and its formation could spark further division in a country already plagued by conflict. Though Sudan’s military and the government in Port Sudan have not responded, they have previously stated that the RSF’s actions are a threat to national unity. Western diplomats are wary, with concerns that any such administration would be dominated by the RSF, raising fears of further instability and territorial fragmentation.
The proposed new government includes figures from Sudan’s former civilian-military power-sharing government, but their lack of substantial local support or military backing means they would largely depend on the RSF’s influence. Despite the RSF’s pledges to not control the government directly, its role in forming the administration raises questions about the future of Sudan’s unity and governance.
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