SAEDNEWS: Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, was sworn in as the head of a parallel Sudanese government, the government said in a statement.
Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has rarely been seen in Sudan since the start of a 28-month-long war with the country's national army, but was sworn in in the Sudanese city of Nyala, the statement said. Reuters could not independently confirm his location.
One of Sudan's largest cities, situated in the Darfur region, Nyala has served as the de facto capital for the RSF, which has appointed a prime minister and a presidential council, led by Dagalo.
The city was targeted with drone attacks on Saturday.
Although the RSF controls most of Darfur, it has been fighting the army and its allies fiercely for the city of al-Fashir, the region's historic capital.
It has besieged hundreds of thousands of civilians there for more than 500 days, forcing them to consume animal feed to survive.
UNICEF said earlier this week that more than 1,000 children had been killed or maimed by air, artillery, and ground attacks.
