Sudan’s PM dissolves Cabinet ahead of expected expansion

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced the dissolution of his Cabinet late on Sunday

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a Reuters interview in Khartoum, Sudan, on August 24, 2019. 

Sudan's prime minister dissolved his Cabinet as a new, more inclusive one was expected to be sworn in as soon as Monday.

The new government comes as part of an overhaul of the country’s transitional administration in office since August 2019.

Abdalla Hamdok, Sudan’s first prime minister after the 2019 removal of dictator Omar Al Bashir, announced the dissolution of his Cabinet late on Sunday.

The move was the latest in a series of steps to bolster the transitional administration and introduce reforms to tackle the country’s economic woes. Officials say they are working to dismantle Al Bashir’s legacy and lay the foundation for a smooth shift to democratic rule.

The changes are also meant to accommodate representatives of rebel groups, who had for years battled the army and allied militias in the western region of Darfur and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The government signed peace deals with the rebels late last year.

Mr Hamdok’s step followed the appointment last week of three rebel representatives to the 11-member Sovereignty Council, a collective presidency led by the country’s top soldier, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

A similarly proportionate number of rebel representatives was expected to be named in Mr Hamdok’s new government.

The transitional administration has yet to name a 300-member legislature, in which the rebel groups would also be represented.