On Monday, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdock announced a new cabinet that comprised of seven former rebel chiefs. The latter attained the posts of cabinet ministers. The formulation of the new cabinet aimed to honor the peace deal Sudanese authorities had arrived at last year to end decades of war.
Ex- Rebel Leaders Get a Post in the Government
Gibril Ibrahim was among the former rebel chieftains who got appointed to the new cabinet. Mr. Ibrahim was a veteran rebel leader and economist and led the Justice and Equality Movement was now the incumbent Finance Minister of Sudan. The JEM played a significant role in the Darfur Conflict.
During a press conference in Khartoum, Mr. Hamdock stated that they had arrived at a consensus with over 25 ministries. He said that the decision to formulate a new cabinet aimed to preserve their country from collapse. Though there will be challenges in the ministries, he is optimistic that they will overcome. Prime Minister Hamdock dissolved the previous cabinet on Sunday to pave the way for a more democratic government.
Other cabinet members included two ministers from the military and the rest from the Forces of Freedom and Change Group. The Chang Group were the significant drivers of the anti-government protests that led to the dethronement of Omar Albashir in April 2019.
Mariam al-Sadiq, the daughter of former Sudan President Sadiq al-Mahdi, was the new Minister for foreign affairs. Mr. Mahdi was the last Prime Minister Sudanelected democratically. He passed away at 84 years old after a covid infection. Mahdi lost his seat in 1989 after Bashir staged a military coup to his residence.
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Economic Challenges in Sudan
Just like any violence-prone state, Sudan’s economy is unstable. More so, since the emergence of the pandemic, the situation has deteriorated. Fighting in Darfur since 2003 has tremendously impacted Sudan. According to the United Nations, up to 300000 people succumbed while 2.5 million lost their homes. As such, dependency levels have increased in the country. And the majority of the people who lost their homes have been forced to live as refugees either in neighboring countries or in their country.
Prime Minister Hamdock stated that his regime valued mostly peace in the country. Hence he was looking forward to establishing a transitional parliament on February 25th. Meanwhile, despite the peace deals, violence is still prone in Darfur. The latter is a vast, impoverished region with bitter rivalries over land, water, and food.
The economy of Sudan deteriorated, especially amid Bashir’s reign. It was then that civil wars, ethnic conflicts surged. And it is unfortunate that the country has never recovered. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Hamdock is confident that his government will fix the crippled economy.
Inflation, food crises, protests, and hard currency shortage are some of the country’s challenges. More so, the escalating protests which continue to deter peace and cause insecurity in the country. Ibrahim, the new finance minister, took the economy at the Universities in Saudi Arabia and Khartoum.
