Sudan postpones new cabinet swearing-in ceremony

September 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese presidency postponed for 24 hours the swearing-in ceremony of ministers of the National Reconciliation Government in its second edition, amid reports that some of the appointed ministers declined to accept the posts.

The Presidency of the Republic announced that the taking oath ceremony of ministers and ministers of state in the new government, which was scheduled at 8 pm on Friday, will be on Saturday.

“The swearing-in ceremony will be on Saturday so as to enable the appointed ministers who are outside the country to take part in the ceremony with their colleagues,” said the official news agency SUNA.

The postponement intervened amid unconfirmed reports since the early hours of Friday, that the appointed minister of finance Abdalla Hamdok has declined the important ministerial post.

During the day, other rumours circulated in the social media that the appointed state minister for finance Nagi al-Sharif and the appointed minister of social security and development Samia Abu Kashwa have also refused to take part in the new government.

None of the three has issued a statement or stated publically about his decision on his participation in the lean government.

Hamdok is the only one residing outside the country in Addis Ababa. Currently, he is the Acting Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

Last week, al-Bashir dissolved the large government formed as part of the national dialogue process and the new lean cabinet was announced on Thursday as part of the government austerity efforts.

(ST)