Sudan Appoints Kamil Idris as New Prime Minister Amid Ongoing Conflict
The appointment comes as Sudan faces a severe humanitarian crisis and escalating military conflict.
KHARTOUM: On Monday, Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, announced the appointment of former UN official Kamil Idris as the nation’s new prime minister, more than two years into an ongoing and brutal conflict.
Idris has an extensive background in diplomacy, having previously served as the director general of the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization and representing Sudan at the UN.
A statement from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council confirmed that Burhan issued a constitutional decree appointing Idris, whose political history includes running as a presidential candidate against longtime ruler Omar Al-Bashir in 2010.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between Burhan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of individuals and has displaced approximately 13 million people.
The United Nations has characterized the situation in Sudan as the worst humanitarian crisis globally.
Idris replaces Dafallah Al-Hajj Ali, another veteran diplomat who was appointed by Burhan in late April but served less than three weeks as acting prime minister.
In recent statements, Burhan has indicated his intention to establish a technocratic wartime government tasked with completing military objectives, specifically aimed at 'liberating Sudan from these rebels.'
The RSF, meanwhile, has announced plans to establish a rival government, following the signing of a charter in Kenya with military and political allies.
This development has heightened international apprehensions regarding the potential permanent division of Sudan, as both factions have been implicated in committing war atrocities.
Currently, the conflict has resulted in a geographical division of Sudan, with the army controlling the north, east, and center, while the RSF and its allies dominate much of the Darfur region and parts of the south.
Idris has an extensive background in diplomacy, having previously served as the director general of the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization and representing Sudan at the UN.
A statement from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council confirmed that Burhan issued a constitutional decree appointing Idris, whose political history includes running as a presidential candidate against longtime ruler Omar Al-Bashir in 2010.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between Burhan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of individuals and has displaced approximately 13 million people.
The United Nations has characterized the situation in Sudan as the worst humanitarian crisis globally.
Idris replaces Dafallah Al-Hajj Ali, another veteran diplomat who was appointed by Burhan in late April but served less than three weeks as acting prime minister.
In recent statements, Burhan has indicated his intention to establish a technocratic wartime government tasked with completing military objectives, specifically aimed at 'liberating Sudan from these rebels.'
The RSF, meanwhile, has announced plans to establish a rival government, following the signing of a charter in Kenya with military and political allies.
This development has heightened international apprehensions regarding the potential permanent division of Sudan, as both factions have been implicated in committing war atrocities.
Currently, the conflict has resulted in a geographical division of Sudan, with the army controlling the north, east, and center, while the RSF and its allies dominate much of the Darfur region and parts of the south.
