Former UN official Idris appointed as prime minister of Sudan

Dubai — Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Burhan appointed Kamil Idris, a former UN official and ex-presidential candidate, as prime minister of Sudan’s military-led government on Monday.

The appointment installs a prime minister for the first time since a coup in 2021 ousted civilian leadership and established a caretaker government.

It is unclear how much power the prime minister will have as the army fights a devastating war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Idris’ appointment follows less than a month after Burhan named diplomat Dafallah al-Haj Ali as acting prime minister, in a move that did not appear to take effect.

Earlier on Monday, Burhan reappointed Salma Abdel Jabbar Almubarak to the ruling sovereign council and also appointed Nowara Abo Mohamed Mohamed Tahir to that governing body.

A new civilian prime minister and overhauled government were expected to be formed after the army took control of the capital Khartoum from the RSF in late March.

War broke out in April 2023 between the two forces after they disagreed on integrating, devastating the country. The two forces had collaborated in carrying out a coup in 2021 that derailed a transition to democracy after the ousting of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

The RSF has dealt a blow to the army-led government with a series of drone attacks in recent weeks on the wartime capital of Port Sudan.

Reuters