Sudan’s SPLM-N May Quit RSF-led Alliance Over Government Posts, Sources Say

Abdelaziz Hilu with Abdelrahim Daglo in Nairobi on Feb 18, 2025

June 9, 2025 (NYALA) – A power struggle over the prime minister post in a planned parallel government is threatening to fracture a new alliance between Sudan’s paramilitary RSF and a major rebel group, the SPLM-N, which may quit the bloc, sources said.

The dispute is stalling the formation of a government intended to rule areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies.

While alliance members agreed that RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemetti, would head a presidential council, a rift emerged over the next most powerful role.

The sources said armed movements led by Al-Hadi Idris and El-Tahir Hajer are blocking the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North’s (SPLM-N) demand for the premiership.

“The SPLM-N will likely withdraw if it is denied the post,” sources within the alliance told Sudan Tribune.

Despite the political infighting, the sources confirmed that military coordination between the RSF and the SPLM-N is deepening in the Kordofan region, with plans to launch joint attacks on several cities soon.

The “Founding Sudan Alliance” was formed in late February when several political parties, the RSF, and armed groups signed a foundational charter in Nairobi, Kenya.

The effort to form a government in RSF-held territory runs parallel to consultations in the temporary capital,  Port Sudan, to form a separate government.