Sudanese prime minister sacks religious affairs minister, Hajj council chief

August 6, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris dismissed Religious Affairs Minister Bashir Haroun Abdel Karim on Friday following allegations of administrative disputes and financial irregularities..

Idris also issued a separate decree terminating the assignment of Omer Mustafa Ali, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Hajj and Umrah, the government body that oversees pilgrimage arrangements with Saudi authorities.

The dismissals follow mounting friction between Haroun and the council.

Haroun, who leads a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement that signed the Juba Peace Agreement, had previously alleged financial and administrative violations within the agency.

Tensions escalated in June when Haroun suspended the council’s acting secretary-general amid disagreements over administrative oversight and institutional jurisdiction.

The cabinet directed key ministries, including finance and human resources, to implement the decisions.