Sudan’s Army Chief Appoints New Prime Minister as Civil War Rages On
Sudan’s military leader Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan appointed former United Nations official Kamil al-Taib Idris as prime minister on Monday, the first to hold the role since the country descended into civil war in April 2023. The appointment comes as the Sudanese army consolidates control over key areas, including Khartoum, following months of battle against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Idris, a lawyer and member of the UN International Law Commission, previously served as Sudan’s legal adviser at its UN mission and once ran for president. He has no known political affiliations, which analysts say may help bridge divides across Sudan’s fractured society.
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The war erupted last year after tensions flared between the army and the RSF, which had jointly staged a 2021 coup that disrupted Sudan’s transition to democracy following the 2019 ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir. The two sides clashed over how to integrate forces, unleashing a conflict that has since killed at least 20,000 people and displaced nearly 13 million, with 4 million fleeing to neighboring countries.
Monday’s appointments also included two women to the ruling sovereign council. Idris is expected to form a transitional government, but questions remain over how much power he will wield. The RSF and its allies have also pledged to form a rival civilian government under a charter signed in Nairobi in February, and RSF fighters are continuing attacks, including drone strikes on the wartime capital of Port Sudan.
