Sudan’s Burhan reshuffles cabinet, appoints new foreign minister

November 3, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council and army commander, appointed a new foreign minister on Sunday in a limited cabinet reshuffle, state media reported.

Sudanese army chief and Sovereign Council head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appointed a new foreign minister and three other ministers on Sunday, according to a council statement.

Ambassador Ali Youssef Ahmed al-Sharif replaces Ambassador Hussein Awad as foreign minister. Al-Burhan appointed Awad in April to replace Ambassador Ali al-Sadiq, who was appointed after Burhan’s 2021 coup.

Youssef held several positions in Sudan’s foreign ministry before retiring. He headed Arab-Chinese friendship associations and was active in the Committee of Elders that sought to resolve the crisis following the 2021 coup.

The reshuffle also saw Khalid al-A’isir replace Graham Abdel Qader as culture and information minister. Al-A’isir, based in London, is known for his pro-Burhan media activity and support for the coup against former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s government.

Omar Bakhit Mohamed Adam replaces Osama Hassan Mohamed Ahmed as religious affairs minister. Omar Ahmed Mohamed Ali Banfir was appointed trade and supply minister, a position that has been vacant since Burhan dismissed Al-Fateh Abdullah Youssef in July.

In January 2022, Burhan appointed undersecretaries to ministerial positions, retaining ministers from armed movements in Darfur and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, except for two dismissed for allegedly supporting the Rapid Support Forces.

The reshuffle comes amid ongoing conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted in April.

Burhan led a coup in October 2021 that ousted the civilian-led transitional government, triggering widespread protests and international condemnation. He later dissolved the Sovereign and Ministerial Councils and declared a state of emergency.

In January 2022, Burhan dismissed most civilian ministers and replaced them with undersecretaries from their respective ministries. He retained ministers from the armed movements in Darfur and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, except for two who were accused of supporting the RSF.