Last month, as Sudan surpassed two years of war, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti—the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—announced that the RSF was establishing a parallel government in Darfur.

Meanwhile, at The Hague, a high-profile case brought by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)— alleging that the United Arab Emirates has breached the U.N. Genocide Convention by supporting the RSF’s campaign in Sudan—has garnered global attention and bolstered the army’s profile. Though the top court dismissed the case this week, the SAF leadership, fronted by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, successfully leveraged it for political gain in the past two months.

Last month, as Sudan surpassed two years of war, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti—the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—announced that the RSF was establishing a parallel government in Darfur.

Meanwhile, at The Hague, a high-profile case brought by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)— alleging that the United Arab Emirates has breached the U.N. Genocide Convention by supporting the RSF’s campaign in Sudan—has garnered global attention and bolstered the army’s profile. Though the top court dismissed the case this week, the SAF leadership, fronted by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, successfully leveraged it for political gain in the past two months.

Amid continuous fighting, displacement, and horror in Sudan, it seems that both warring parties are increasingly focused on currying domestic and international favor. Despite the conflict that they have forced onto the Sudanese people, the RSF and SAF share the aim of preserving militarized, authoritarian rule in the country. But ultimately, a successful cease-fire, rebuilding process, and lasting peace require political leadership that comes from neither force.

The 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir, the dictator who ruled Sudan for three decades, aimed to usher in civil leadership, move the country toward democratic governance, and reinvigorate a broken economy. To ensure a cease-fire that allows Sudanese society to properly rebuild, the civil society leaders who have been at the forefront of mutual aid efforts during the war must be the loudest voice at any negotiating table.

Sudan’s postwar leadership must echo the demands of the civilian revolution—not prey on the country’s current vulnerability.

The RSF has never championed “peace and unity,” as it claimed in its announcement of the parallel government—it evolved from the Janjaweed, the militia group that launched genocidal campaigns against non-Arab tribes in Darfur in the early 2000s. In the past two years, RSF fighters have continued their brutal assaults across Sudan, particularly in the state of North Darfur. Since early 2024, the RSF has attacked and killed civilians throughout El Fasher, the state........

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