KHARTOUM — Kamil Idris was sworn in on Saturday as Sudan’s new prime minister before Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council, amid a deepening civil conflict and worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the country.
His appointment follows a constitutional decree issued by al-Burhan on May 19.
According to Sudan’s official news agency SUNA, the swearing-in ceremony took place in the presence of Lieutenant General Mohamed Al-Ghali Ali Youssef, Secretary-General of the Sovereign Council, and the head of the judiciary in the Red Sea State, who represented the Chief Justice.
Idris, a veteran politician with a PhD in international law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, previously ran as a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections.
He succeeds Dafallah Al-Haj Youssef, Sudan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who had been serving as caretaker prime minister and minister of Cabinet affairs.
Idris assumes leadership as Sudan continues to grapple with a brutal power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted on April 15, 2023.
The conflict has plunged the nation into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
More than 20,000 people have been confirmed killed, and over 15 million displaced, according to UN figures and local authorities. Some US-based researchers estimate the actual death toll could exceed 130,000.
The ongoing violence has overwhelmed aid efforts, disrupted governance, and left millions without access to basic necessities.
Idris's swearing-in marks a critical political moment, though it remains unclear how the appointment will affect the power dynamics on the ground or efforts toward peace.
Sudan’s transitional political process began in April 2019 after the military ousted longtime President Omar al-Bashir.
A Sovereignty Council was later formed, with Burhan at its helm, to oversee governance and transition efforts. The council assumed full control following a military takeover in November 2021. — Agencies
