Sudan’s new prime minister dissolves caretaker government

KHARTOUM, Sudan/ISTANBUL

Sudan’s new prime minister dissolved the caretaker government Sunday, a day after he was sworn in before the chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Kamil Idris officially announced the dissolution of the Cabinet and instructed ministry secretaries-general and undersecretaries to run government operations until a new one is formed, Sudan’s state-run news agency SUNA reported.

In his first address to the nation, Idris outlined his top priorities.

“Our highest priority is safeguarding Sudan’s national security and state sovereignty by defeating the insurgency and armed rebel groups,” he said, according to Sudan’s state television.

Since April 15, 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has been battling army forces for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed, with an additional 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

Idris urged countries supporting the rebellion to “stop planning, financing and cooperating in such efforts,” though he did not name specific states.

He also pledged to uphold the “principles of justice, peace, the rule of law and sustainable development” and stressed his commitment to political neutrality.

“We will treat all political and national actors equally and stand at an equal distance from all,” he said.

Idris added that he would promote an inclusive Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue that leaves no one behind.

Before his appointment, the post of prime minister had been informally held by Dafallah Al-Haj Yousif, Sudan’s former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

For years, Sudan’s ministries have been overseen by a mix of acting ministers and holdovers from the 2021 civilian-military power-sharing arrangement.

Despite repeated pledges by al-Burhan to form a transitional government, no concrete steps had materialized until now.

Sudan remains in deep political turmoil following the ouster of longtime President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 in a military coup after mass protests against his rule.