Sudan summoned the United Nations‘ resident humanitarian coordinator and representatives of accredited UN agencies in the country to warn against dealing with the so-called National Humanitarian Access Authority, which is affiliated with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Last month, an RSF-affiliated administration based in Nyala in western Sudan, created a parallel body to handle humanitarian affairs. It ordered foreign and local organizations to register within 30 days and required them to open offices in RSF-controlled areas within 45 days.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said it summoned the UN resident humanitarian coordinator and all representatives of UN agencies “to present the government’s rejection of the flawed decision issued by the political arm of the rebel RSF militia.”
Any institutional dealings with the RSF-run body, whether through registration or signing memorandums of understanding, would amount to “support for illegitimate parallel entities and a clear violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry warned.
It said such unilateral steps contradict a UN Security Council statement in August 2025 against creating any parallel authorities or structures, which it described as “a direct threat to the stability of Sudan and the region.”
The ministry urged all international and regional organizations accredited in Sudan to direct their staff to strictly respect the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity, warning that it would not tolerate any violations affecting state sovereignty.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to coordinating with UN agencies to facilitate humanitarian access to all people in need through the state’s official and legitimate channels.
There was no immediate comment from the UN or the RSF on the statement.
Last July, the RSF announced the formation of a parallel government in areas under its control, despite opposition from Sudanese authorities, the UN Security Council, the African Union, the European Union and the Arab League.
The RSF controls the five states of Darfur in western Sudan, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control, while the army maintains authority over most of the remaining states, including the capital, Khartoum.
Sudan has faced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises since war erupted in April 2023 between the army and the RSF over a dispute about integrating the paramilitary force into the military. The conflict has triggered famine, killed tens of thousands of Sudanese and displaced 13 million people.
