Sudan's Al-Burhan replaces ministers, appoints Ali Youssef as new foreign minister

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, removed several ministers, including foreign minister, and appointed new ones late Sunday.

In a statement, the Sudanese Sovereign Council said al-Burhan has decided to relieve Foreign Minister Hussein Awad Ali of his responsibilities and replace him with Ali Youssef Ahmed.

However, he was appointed as acting foreign minister.

Graham Abdelkader, the minister of information, has been replaced by Khalid Ali Aleisir. Similarly, Omar Bakhit has taken over as Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments from Osama Hassan Mohamed Ahmed.

The new government reshuffle comes amid an ongoing deadly conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group (RSF), which has killed over 20,000 people and displaced more than 10 million since mid-April 2023, according to the UN.

The international community and the UN have intensified their calls for an end to the violence, as the conflict threatens to drive millions into famine due to food shortages in 13 of Sudan's 18 states.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar