Governance

Sudan Army Chief Names Ex-UN Official as Prime Minister

Published MAY 20 2025

Story

Above: Sudan's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan attends a civil service conference in Port Sudan on April 29, 2025. Image credit: AFP/Contributor via Getty Images

The Facts

Sudan's army chief and de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, appointed former UN official Kamil Idris as prime minister through a constitutional decree, marking the first prime ministerial appointment since January 2022, when Abdalla Hamdok resigned amid political deadlock.
Al Jazeera
Global
Idris, a career diplomat who served as director general of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization from 1997 to 2008, previously ran as an independent candidate against former president Omar al-Bashir in the 2010 presidential election.
Sudan Tribune
Radio Tamazuj
The appointment comes as Sudan remains embroiled in a civil war between al-Burhan's military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million people since April 2023.
Arab News
Global
Idris replaces veteran diplomat Dafallah al-Haj Ali, who served less than three weeks as acting premier after being appointed in late April, while al-Burhan also added two women, Salma Abdel Jabbar Almubarak and Nowara Abo Mohamed Mohamed Tahir, to the governing council.
Reuters
Al Jazeera
The conflict has effectively split Sudan, with the army controlling the north, east, and center, while the RSF dominates nearly all of Darfur and, alongside allies, parts of the south.
RFI
Radio Tamazuj
The appointment follows the army's claimed control of Khartoum in late March, though the RSF has recently conducted a series of drone attacks on Port Sudan, demonstrating their continued military capabilities.
Reuters
Eye Radio
Dailynewsegypt

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The appointment of Idris represents a strategic move to establish legitimate governance and restore order in Sudan. His extensive diplomatic experience and international credentials make him well-suited to lead a technocratic wartime government aimed at achieving military objectives and stabilizing the nation. The army's recent territorial gains and efforts to form a functioning administration show progress towards ending the conflict.

Arab News

Eye Radio

Narrative B

It's unclear how effective the appointment of Idris will be in terms of stabilizing Sudan in a devastating time of war. It's also not known how much authority al-Burhan will actually yield to Idris, and Idris' past political forays into Sudanese politics were criticized for lacking transparency. With atrocities mounting on both sides and a real fear of a permanently divided Sudan, Idris will have his work cut out for him.