Sudan’s PM adds finance post to responsibilities in reshuffle

Sudan’s new 21-member cabinet was sworn in on Saturday, with Prime Minister Moutaz Mousa Abdallah also taking the finance portfolio in an effort to revive the country’s ailing economy.

Sudan has been grappling with an acute foreign exchange shortage and inflation above 65 per cent for several months, prompting President Omar Al Bashir to sack the previous cabinet to “fix the situation”.

Mr Bashir nominated Abdallah Hamdok as finance minister, but Sudan’s official news agency Suna reported on Saturday that Mr Hamdok declined to accept the post.

Several ministers from the previous government are retained in the new cabinet, including the foreign and oil ministers, who were appointed only months ago after a previous cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Mousa Abdallah was irrigation minister in the previous cabinet.

Sudan’s economic crisis has worsened this year. The US lifted its decades-long embargo on the country last year.

Food prices have more than doubled, fuel shortages have become frequent and the Sudanese pound has plunged against the US dollar.

Sudan’s economy was dealt a severe blow initially from the loss of three quarters of its oil resources when South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

An attempt in September 2013 to cut fuel subsidies led to lethal confrontations between protesters and security forces.