Prime Minister picks former rebel leaders in new cabinet

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has named a new cabinet which includes seven former rebel leaders who were part of a peace deal signed in October. Mr Hamdok dissolved the previous cabinet on Sunday to form a more inclusive government. Two ministers were selected from the military. Many are from the Forces for Freedom and …

Prime Minister picks former rebel leaders in new cabinet
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has named a new cabinet which includes seven former rebel leaders who were part of a peace deal signed in October. Mr Hamdok dissolved the previous cabinet on Sunday to form a more inclusive government. Two ministers were selected from the military. Many are from the Forces for Freedom and Change which led the protests that saw Omar al-Bashir ousted from power. The prime minister gave the role of finance minister to the veteran rebel leader and economist Gibril Ibrahim. This at a time of sky high inflation and food and fuel shortages. Being Sudan’s foreign minister in a volatile region will also be a major test. That job has gone to Mariam al-Sadiqal-Mahdi – the daughter of Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister, Sadiqal-Mahdi. There are still military men in Mr Hamdok’s cabinet – a reminder of the awkward marriage between soldiers and civilians as Sudan continues its planned transition to democracy.