Hamdok Forms Sudan’s Second Transitional Cabinet

Sudan's PM Hamdok speaks to the media on 8 February 2021 (ST photo)February 8, 2021 

(KHARTOUM) - Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok formed on Monday evening his second cabinet announcing a new phase of the political transition in Sudan after the signing of a peace agreement with the Sudanese Revolutionary Front.

Formed after a year of negotiations with the armed groups in Juba, the new cabinet was can be seen as a realisation of an incomplete peace in the country.

Hamdok held a press conference to announce the new cabinet which is composed of 25 ministers nominated by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF).

As expected Mariam al-Mahdi was appointed as the foreign minister while Gibril Ibrahim of the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement took has become the minister of finance.

Also, Khalid Omer Youssif of the Sudanese Congress Party was given the ministry of cabinet affairs and bringing Hamdok to work closely with the political forces, the SRF groups, and the military component to coordinate the cabinet activities and its policies.

Five former ministers kept their positions in the new cabinet, namely Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim, Minister of Justice Nasr al-Din Abdel Bari, Minister of Water Yasir Abbas, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasr al-Din Mufreh, and the Minister of Higher Education Intisar Saghairon.

While Ibrahim is nominated by the army, Mufreh returned this time in the list of the National Umma Party. The others have been kept by the FFC for the quality of their work in the former cabinet.

The new cabinet also includes only four women, among the armed groups only the SPLM-N Agar nominated a woman: Buthaina Ali Dinar for the ministry of the federal government.

Speaking about the programme of his government which will be endorsed by the Council of the Transitional Period partners on Tuesday, Hamdok said that the most prominent issues that the new programme will deal with are the economic issues facing his government, implementation of the peace agreement, negotiations with the leader of the SPLM-N of Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the Sudan Liberation Movement of Abdel Wahid al-Nur, transitional justice and carrying out reforms in the state’s civil and military institutions.

With regard to the economic situation, he said the new government will work to cancel Sudan’s debts, which he said amounted to $ 70 billion through the (HIPC) initiative. He added that the Agency for International Development has expressed willingness to invest $ 1.7 billion in the country.

Hamdok further said that his government plans to inject over $ 300 million in the petroleum sector to double production, which currently stands at 60,000 barrels. Also, the government will allocate $ 260 million to develop the electricity sector, in addition to investing in the agriculture sector, especially irrigated projects such as Al-Jazirah, Al-Rahad and Al-Suki.

He said that all these reforms will address the economic crisis stressing, "We are close to making a shift in the economy and there will be no collapse."

(ST)

Full list of the second transitional government

The Sudanese Congress Party:

Khaled Omer Youssef, Minister of Cabinet Affairs

Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Minister of Industry

Military component:

Lt Gen Yassin Ibrahim, Minister of Defence

Lt Gen Izz-Eddin al-Sheikh, Minister of Interior

The National Baath Party:

Tayseer al-Nurani Minister of Labor and Administrative Reform:

Umma Party:

Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Jadein Ali Hassan .. Minister of Energy and Oil

Al-Tahir Ismail Mohamed Harbi, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

Nasr al-Din Mufreh, Minister of Religious Affairs

Independents:

Nasr al-Din Abdel Bari, Minister of Justice

Intisar Seghairon, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Yasir Abbas, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources

SPLM-N Agar:

Buthaina Ibrahim Dinar, Minister of Federal Government

Justice and Equality Movement:

Gibril Ibrahim, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning

Motasim Ahmed Saleh, Minister of Social Development

Sudan Liberation Movement- Minnawi:

Mohamed Bashir Abu Nemou, Minister of Minerals

Revolutionary Forces Front:

Hafiz Ibrahim Abdel Nabi, Minister of Livestock:

Beja Congress:

Mirghani Musa Hamad, Minister of Transport

Baath Arab Socialist Party:

Youssif Adam Aldai, Minister of Youth and Sports

Truth Movement:

Omer Ahmad al-Najeeb, Minister of Health

Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance:

Abdallah Yahia, Minister of Urban Development, Roads and Bridges

Unionist Alliance:

Hashem Hasab Alrasoul, Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation

Hamza Baloul, Minister of Culture and Information

Civil society:

Al-Hadi Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation.

(ST)