The 15-member presidential council will be led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, whose forces are engaged in a brutal war with the national army A Sudanese political coalition aligned with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has announced the formation of a parallel government in a country gripped by a brutal civil war for more than two years. The Leadership Council of the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) announced the move on Saturday, naming RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as chairman of a 15-member presidential council that includes regional governors. Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu, a powerful rebel leader said to control vast swathes of territory and troops in South Kordofan state, will serve as vice chairman, while Sudanese politician Mohamed Hassan Othman al-Ta’ayshi will take the role of prime minister.“On the occasion of this historic achievement, the leadership council extends its greetings and congratulations to the Sudanese people who have endured the flames of devastating wars for decades,” TASIS said in a statement.The formation of the rival government, according to TASIS, renews its “commitment to building an inclusive homeland and a new secular, democratic, decentralized, and voluntarily unified Sudan, founded on the principles of freedom, justice, and equality.” Gen. Dagalo had ruled Sudan alongside Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) commander and de facto leader of the northeastern African nation, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, after leading the 2019 coup that overthrew long-ruling former President Omar al-Bashir. However, fighting erupted between the two in April 2023, following months of tension over the integration of their forces as part of a planned transition to civilian rule.Thousands have been killed in the conflict, but regional and international efforts to broker a ceasefire between the warring parties have so far failed. In February, the RSF signed a charter with allied political and armed groups to establish a “government of peace and unity,” weeks after army chief Burhan announced plans to form a “caretaker” or “wartime” government.In a statement on Sunday, the Sudanese army condemned the “so-called militia government” as a ploy by the RSF to deceive its allies, claiming its true intention is to seize power in pursuit of personal ambition.