Sudan taps Ambassador Omer Siddiq for foreign minister post

April 30, 2025 (PORT SUDAN)  – Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has approved the appointment of Ambassador Omer Siddiq, the country’s current envoy to China, as the new foreign minister, sources within the Sovereignty Council told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

Siddiq replaces Ambassador Ali Youssif, who was dismissed earlier this month, becoming the fourth person to lead the foreign ministry since the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted in mid-April 2023.

The ministry has faced high turnover since the conflict began. Ambassador Ali al-Sadiq was dismissed in April 2024. Hussein Awad then served as acting minister before being replaced in November 2024 by Youssif, whose tenure was brief.

Siddiq is a veteran diplomat with extensive experience, having served in Sudanese missions in Switzerland, Germany, Britain, and South Africa. He also held the post of Permanent Representative to the United Nations and previously worked as a director in the office of former Foreign Minister Ali Karti.