The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday rejected plans by Sudan’s paramilitary group to establish a rival government in areas it controls, warning that the move threatens the country’s territorial integrity and risks further exacerbating the ongoing civil war. The strongly worded statement by the U.N.’s most powerful body “unequivocally reaffirmed” its unwavering commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, independence and unity. Any steps to undermine these principles “threaten not only the future of Sudan but also the peace and stability of the broader region,” the statement said. The 15-member council said the announcement by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces also risks “fragmenting the country and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.” Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including western Darfur. Some 40,000 people have been killed, nearly 13 million displaced and many pushed to the brink of famine, U.N. agencies say. The RSF and their allies announced in late June that they had formed a parallel government in areas the group controls, mainly in the vast Darfur region where allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity are being investigated.

Full report : UN rejects plans by Sudan’s paramilitary group for a rival government amid civil war.