Sudan Gets First Prime Minister Since Outbreak of War

Sudan’s army chief and de facto head of state on Monday appointed Kamil al-Taib Idris as the country’s first prime minister since the start of the civil war two years ago, a move officials hope will put the country on a path to civilian rule, Al Jazeera reported. 

Idris will form the transitional government, a move long promised by military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, which comes as the army has made advances against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and regained control of the capital, Khartoum, in March, the Associated Press wrote.  

The last prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, stepped down in 2022 during a political stalemate and widespread pro-democracy protests. 

Analysts say that Idris is a solid choice to restore civilian rule and deal with Sudan’s political crisis because he has no political affiliations, which may make him acceptable to a broad range of Sudanese communities, including RSF supporters.  

Idris previously served as Sudan’s legal adviser at the United Nations mission and is a member of the UN International Law Commission. 

The government is moving to implement civilian rule even as the RSF and its allies in February signed a charter to establish a parallel government. 

Meanwhile, the civil war has spread across the country, killing tens of thousands of people, displacing millions, and destroying critical infrastructure. 

The army currently holds areas in the central, eastern, and northern parts of Sudan. The RSF maintains control over most of the western region of Darfur and part of the south. It has been repeatedly striking Port Sudan in the past month.