For the first time since Sudan descended into civil war two years ago, the country now has a prime minister. On Monday, army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan appointed Kamil al-Taib Idris to lead a long-anticipated transitional government, signaling a possible turning point in the conflict-ridden nation.
The decision follows months of military gains over the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), most notably the army’s recapture of Khartoum in March. With the RSF pushed out of the capital, Burhan has moved forward with forming a civilian-led administration, a goal he has repeatedly pledged to fulfill.
Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023 after tensions between the military and the RSF escalated into full-scale warfare. The conflict has devastated the nation: at least 20,000 lives have been lost, though experts warn the actual toll could be much higher. Nearly 13 million people have been displaced, with 4 million seeking refuge beyond Sudan’s borders. Today, half of the country’s 50 million people face food insecurity.
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The post of prime minister has remained vacant since Abdalla Hamdok stepped down in 2022 amid mass protests and political gridlock.
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Political commentator and journalist Osman Mirghani in an AP report described Idris’s appointment as a potentially stabilizing development.
“His chances of being accepted by various communities of the Sudanese society seems higher, even among those who support the RSF, because he has no political affiliations,” Mirghani noted.
Meanwhile, the RSF has not been idle. In February, the group and its allies signed a charter in Nairobi, laying the groundwork for a rival administration. Their proposal includes the creation of “a secular, democratic and decentralized state,” reflecting a broader push by marginalized communities for autonomy from the central government in Khartoum.
Kamil al-Taib Idris brings diplomatic experience to the role, having served as a legal adviser for Sudan’s mission to the United Nations and as a member of the U.N. International Law Commission, according to his social media.
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