Sudan/ The Government of Peace: The Hemedti’s alternative administration on the brink to fill Sudan’s void
Amid the geopolitical upheavals shaking Sudan, the current struggle is no longer merely a security confrontation on the ground. It has evolved into a conflict of visions and projects concerning the shape of the state and the future of governance.
In this context, the intensified political activity of the “Ta’sees” (Foundation) Alliance for a New Sudan stands out. It is restructuring its media and political discourse around the figure of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander, Lieutenant-General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), presenting him not only as a military leader but also as the architect of an alternative political project aimed at uprooting the roots of the crisis that has plagued Sudan for decades.
By adopting the “Transitional Constitutional Framework” and outlining the contours of a “Government of Peace and Unity,” Hemedti and his political allies in Nairobi and Nyala are putting forward a structural project aimed at dismantling the historical centralization of power and returning authority to the regions and marginalized groups through genuine federalism.
Dismantling the “State of privilege” and building national institutions
The slogan “Opposing the Muslim Brotherhood regime” and preventing the return of elements of the former regime lies at the heart of Hemedti’s and the “Foundation” Alliance’s political and media discourse.
This approach rests on several pillars that resonate deeply with broad segments of civilian forces and resistance committees that led the glorious December Revolution:
- Purging state institutions:The alliance believes that the current fighting is a necessary means to end the dominance of ideological groups linked to the deposed regime over key economic and military decision-making positions within state institutions and the army.
- Creating a new national army:Hemedti proposes a strategic vision based on integrating all armed forces (the Rapid Support Forces, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, and the factions signatory to the Founding Charter) to build a single national military institution, equipped with a modern combat doctrine and entirely apolitical, free from partisan allegiance.
- Restoring the legitimacy of the December Revolution:The RSF’s political discourse insists that their project is the true extension of civilian demands for freedom, justice, and peace, and the genuine guarantor against the re-establishment of a one-party state.
“Government of Peace and Unity”: An administrative model to fill the institutional void
Faced with the challenge of managing the daily lives of millions of people in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces and their allied factions in Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum, the announcement of the “Government of Peace and Unity” and the establishment of the “Presidential Council” constitute a concrete step toward proposing a civilian and development-oriented alternative.
The philosophy of this alternative administrative model can be summarized as follows:
- Consensual and inclusive leadership:The formation of the Presidential Council, headed by Hemedti and deputized by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, reflects a broad political coalition comprising 23 political, tribal, and movement factions (including dissidents from the Umma Party, the Democratic Unionist Party, and the Revolutionary Front), giving the administration a participatory dimension that transcends power monopolization.
- Federalism and genuine decentralization:The transitional constitution enshrines the foundation of Sudan as eight administrative regions with broad autonomy and genuine powers to manage and develop their resources. This represents the historic solution demanded by regional populations to end the control of an oppressive center.
- Restoration of services and protection of civilians:The Government of Peace (based in Nyala, its capital and headquarters) strives to revitalize local public services, ensure security, and guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians. It also aims to issue identity cards and revive the economy to address the institutional vacuum in Port Sudan.
A Secular democratic State: A charter of citizenship without discrimination
On the political front, the founding charter is committed to building a secular, democratic, and decentralized state founded on the principles of freedom and absolute equality.
This political approach aims to end the political instrumentalization of religion and ethnic affiliation in governance and to ensure that citizenship remains the sole criterion of rights and duties. Hemedti’s allies believe that this approach is the only viable path to ending chronic civil conflicts and placing Sudan on the road to a modern and stable state.
The political gamble undertaken by Lieutenant-General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo through the “Foundation” Alliance and the “Government of Peace and Unity” represents an ambitious attempt to present a comprehensive political project that combines the balance of power on the ground with the objectives of radical change and the construction of a new Sudan.
The success of this project will depend on the ability of these nascent institutions to establish the foundations of stability, protect civilians, and transform the federalism enshrined in the Constitution into a tangible reality that guarantees prosperity and justice for all the Sudanese people.
