AU condemns RSF parallel government, demands end to El Fasher siege

The African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) condemned the establishment of a “parallel government” by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), calling it an illegitimate attempt to fragment the country.

“There can be no viable or sustainable military solution to the ongoing conflict,” the PSC declared in a communiqué issued after its 1293rd meeting on Sudan, held in Addis Ababa last Monday. “We strongly reject the creation of the so-called ‘parallel government’ in the Republic of Sudan by the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasees), led by the paramilitary RSF.”

The AU reiterated its call for “an immediate, permanent and unconditional cessation of hostilities” and full support for a “genuine, inter-Sudanese inclusive dialogue towards a negotiated political settlement.”

The Council also expressed alarm over “the reported situation of famine and starvation” in Sudan, with specific concern for the besieged city of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur. It urged the RSF to lift the blockade to allow critical humanitarian aid to reach civilians.

The PSC demanded that all humanitarian agencies be granted “rapid, safe and unhindered” access across the country and called on the AU Commission to mobilise urgent assistance to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

Commending the recent appointment of Dr Kamil El Tayeb Idris as civilian Prime Minister and the amendment of constitutional powers, the AU encouraged the international community to back efforts to restore constitutional order. 

It noted “progress made in the implementation of the roadmap” presented in February by the Transitional Sovereignty Council, which advocates a national dialogue for those rejecting violence.

Earlier in May, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf praised the appointment as a potential step toward restoring democratic governance. Hailing Dr Idris’s selection as a “a step toward inclusive governance,” Youssouf reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and stability.

Youssouf’s praise drew both applause and condemnation across Sudan’s political and military spectrum.

Sumoud, headed by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, said such statements constitute a flagrant breach of African Union principles, which explicitly reject the legitimacy of any Sudanese government formed after the October 25, 2021 military coup.

Tasees accused him of “clear bias towards the army” and violating the AU’s principles, particularly in light of Sudan’s suspension from the bloc following the 2021 military coup.

Omar El Degeir, chair of the Sudanese Congress Party, also told Al Jazeera, the AU chairperson’s recent statements were “contradictory to the Union’s declared stance” and warned that no military solution would resolve Sudan’s deepening crisis.

The AU also sounded a warning to external actors, condemning “all forms of external interference which is fuelling the Sudanese conflict,” and tasked its subcommittees with identifying and recommending sanctions against those responsible.

In a clear move to unify fragmented peace efforts, the PSC called on the Chairperson of the AU Commission to convene all parties involved in Sudan’s peace process to consolidate various initiatives into a single AU- and IGAD-led framework.

The AU reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the Sudanese people “in their relentless and legitimate quest for restoring peace, security, stability, development and democratic governance.”