Sudan forms first Cabinet since fall of Bashir

Sudan’s prime minister announced on Thursday the formation of the first government since the overthrow of longtime ruler Omar Hassan al-Bashir in April.

The government was formed as part of a three-year power-sharing deal signed last month between the military and civilian parties and protest groups.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced the names of 18 ministers in the new Cabinet, and said he would name two more later.

“(The new government) will start its work immediately in a harmonious and collective way,” Hamdok told a news conference in Khartoum on Thursday evening.

“Today, we start a new phase in our history. … We are seeking the establishment of a national project and the restructure of the Sudanese state,” he said.

The new government is an important step in transition away from nearly 30 years under Bashir, when Sudan was afflicted by internal conflicts, international isolation and deep economic problems.

However, the months since Bashir’s fall have been marked by tension between the powerful security forces and civilian groups that are pushing for democracy, reform and justice for those killed during crackdowns on protests.

The announcement of the Cabinet had been held up by haggling over positions.

Most of the 18 ministers announced on Thursday were approved earlier in the week. The Cabinet includes four women, among them Asmaa Abdallah, who becomes the country’s first female foreign minister.

It also includes Ibrahim Elbadawi, a former World Bank economist who will serve as finance minister, and Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the civilian coalition that negotiated the transition deal with the military, as a minister of industry and trade.