A political coalition led by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Saturday the formation of a parallel government in Sudan, raising concerns about further division of a country already torn by more than two years of civil conflict.
Alaa El Din Nugud, the alliance's spokesperson, said in a televised statement broadcast via Telegram that the leadership body of the Sudan Founding Alliance has agreed to appoint Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi as Prime Minister of the Peace Government.
According to the statement, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was selected as President of the Presidential Council, the highest sovereign authority in the new government, while leader of Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu was appointed as Vice President of the Presidential Council.
Sudan's Darfur region Governor Minni Arko Minnawi firmly opposed the formation of a parallel government, terming the move as illegal and a "crime".
The RSF signed a founding charter with various political and armed groups on Feb 22 this year, setting the groundwork for the parallel government.
The Sudanese government has repeatedly expressed opposition to the formation of a parallel government.
Sudan's paramilitary-led coalition announces formation of parallel gov't
More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.
The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.
In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.
"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.
To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.
In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.
"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.
In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.
"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.
Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners
