Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and a coalition of political, civil, and military groups signed an agreement in the early hours of Sunday to establish a unity government.
The pact, finalized at 2 a.m. behind closed doors in Nairobi, Kenya, creates the Sudan Founding Alliance, an outfit poised to lead the war-torn North African nation toward peace and stability.
The agreement is the result of four days of intense negotiations hosted by Kenya, bringing together over 4,000 stakeholders, including representatives from more than 20 political parties, 10 civil organizations, and 5 military factions, with the RSF at the forefront.
The closed-door summit addressed the root causes of Sudan’s ongoing crisis, which has displaced over 12 million people and triggered what the United Nations has dubbed the world’s worst hunger and displacement crises.
The charter outlines ambitious goals for a “new Sudan,” including the creation of a unified, professional national army that reflects the country’s diversity and remains free from political interference.
This new military force is tasked with ending the war, combating terrorism, and strengthening diplomatic ties with neighboring countries.
The agreement also calls for a “secular, democratic, decentralized state” rooted in freedom, equality, and justice, aiming to transcend Sudan’s deep-seated ethnic, religious, and regional divides.
Among the key signatories are Abdel Rahim Daglo, deputy to RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, and a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which holds sway in parts of southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
The inclusion of such diverse groups signals broad support for the initiative, though challenges remain in implementing the accord amid ongoing hostilities with Sudan’s regular army.
Kenya’s role as a neutral mediator has drawn praise from the signatories, with insiders noting that President William Ruto resisted pressure and accusations that the summit was an attempt to establish a rival government on Kenyan soil.
“Kenya has simply provided a platform for Sudanese stakeholders to find solutions,” one participant told reporters, emphasizing the nonpartisan stance of the host nation.
The pact comes as Sudan grapples with the fallout of a war that erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, uprooting millions and leaving the country on the brink of collapse.
