Sudan’s Sovereign Council member Yasser Al-Atta declared on Tuesday that the army would “fight anyone who seeks to establish a parallel government,” emphasizing the military’s commitment to preventing any rival authority. His statement comes in response to a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, where opposition forces and armed groups discussed forming an alternative government.
The meeting included key figures such as National Umma Party leader Fadlallah Burma Nasir and RSF deputy commander Abdelrahim Dagalo, with plans to sign a political declaration on February 21. Al-Atta warned against foreign conspiracies and reaffirmed the army’s stance against the RSF, which has been engaged in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s military since April 2023.
The ongoing war has caused immense devastation, with over 20,000 deaths and 14 million displaced, according to UN figures, though research from US universities suggests the toll may be as high as 130,000. The army currently controls most of Khartoum State, including 90% of Bahri and significant portions of Omdurman and central Khartoum, where key government buildings are located.
RSF forces, however, continue to hold strategic positions in the city’s east and south. Meanwhile, international calls for a ceasefire are growing, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster as food shortages threaten millions with starvation.
The proposed parallel government has split Sudan’s civilian opposition, with some factions supporting the Nairobi conference while others, including the Democratic Civilian Forces Coordinating Committee, oppose it. The conflict, which has now spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states, continues to fuel political instability and deepen the country’s crisis. Despite international mediation efforts, no resolution appears imminent, leaving Sudan at risk of prolonged violence and further fragmentation.
