Minni Arko Minawi, governor of the Darfur region, announced the participation of his forces in the fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sunday.

Minni, who is leading the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), cited the RSF's violations of Sudan's sovereignty and human rights violations as reasons for their involvement in the ongoing fight. SLM is a signatory of the Juba Peace Agreement.

Governor Minawi appeared in a convoy of military vehicles departing Nile River State en route to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

"We are going through a critical crisis which is leading to attacks against the state and its sovereignty as well as assaults against civilians. So all these are experienced in many areas in Darfur, Kordofan and al-Gazira where women are being raped, and people's rights are being violated," said Minawi.

Governor Minawi condemned the RSF's attacks on “state sovereignty and citizens' dignity” through crimes committed in Darfur, Gezira, and Khartoum. "These attacks include the rape of women, violations of religious sites, seizing land and property, and occupying homes and institutions in Khartoum. They even disrupted humanitarian aid by attacking safe passage routes," he said.

Minawi, who is now siding with the military, underscored that the SLM had waited over ten months without success for a peaceful resolution. He called upon Sudanese citizens and armed movements to resist the RSF's actions, which he considered a violation of Sudanese sovereignty by "foreigners" entering their homes.

"We will work together with our brothers in the joint force to bring an end to these violations," Minawi stressed.

This follows a similar declaration in November last year by Governor Minawi, JEM leader Jibril Ibrahim, and Mustafa Tambour, leader of another SLM faction, to abandon neutrality and fight alongside the Sudanese army against the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.

The Sudanese army and the RSF began battling each other in mid-April last year as tensions over plans for a new political transition and restructuring of the military erupted into heavy fighting.

The conflict has driven nearly 8.5 million people from their homes, creating the world's biggest displacement crisis, pushed parts of the 49-million population close to famine, and triggered waves of ethnically driven killings and sexual violence in the western region of Darfur.

The army, which has recently regained some ground in the capital, shunned an appeal from the UN Security Council for a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.