Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, affirmed to members of the new Sudanese government that they did not come through elections or a coup, indicating that they came from the people's desire for change.
According to the Sudanese News Agency "SUNA," he made this statement during a meeting with the ministers of the government, emphasizing that the train of the Sudanese revolution is ongoing and will not stop, and that change is safeguarded by the will of the Sudanese people. The agency added that Al-Burhan called on the transitional government, after taking the oath of office, to commit to working as one unit across all state institutions, which will complete their structures by forming the legislative council, to ensure progress in the democratic transition and the establishment of the next phase leading to united and cohesive elections to navigate the country through.
Al-Burhan stressed the importance of engaging with citizens, understanding their problems, and working to address them, confirming that the ministers will receive full support from various governmental bodies and different sectors of the population. He congratulated the new members of the government for joining in serving the people, stating, "The people want to see that we serve them, because we came by their desire for change; we did not come through elections or a coup, and we should not disappoint them in achieving their hopes and aspirations for the better."
Al-Burhan pointed out that the previous government made every effort, but there remain many dilemmas and challenges. Abdullah Hamdok had previously announced the formation of the new Sudanese government, which came after a political consensus aimed at preventing the country from collapse, as he said. Yassin Ibrahim continued as Minister of Defense, and Yasser Abbas continued as Minister of Irrigation, while Jibril Ibrahim, leader of the "Justice and Equality Movement," was appointed Minister of Finance, and Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, daughter of the late leader of the "Umma Party," Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to the Sudanese News Agency "SUNA."
Hamdok explained in his speech that the formation of the new Sudanese government today is in implementation of the peace agreement with the armed movements, and consists of 25 ministries, with the goal of "saving the country from collapse." It is worth noting that the Governance Partners Council, composed of representatives from the Sovereign Council, the ministers, forces for Freedom and Change, and the Revolutionary Front that signed the peace agreement, had reached a consensus on the new government formation under Hamdok's leadership after the previous cabinet was dissolved.
In December of last year, the President of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, announced the formation of a Transitional Partners Council consisting of 29 members from the military and civilians, along with representatives of the armed movements that signed the peace agreement in Juba last October. This step was widely rejected by several Sudanese components, including the Council of Ministers and the Forces of Freedom and Change, which stated in a statement that "the council has no executive or legislative powers and should not interfere with the institutions established by the constitutional document or encroach on its authorities."
Since August 21, 2019, Sudan has been undergoing a transitional period lasting 39 months, ending with elections, during which power is shared between the military council and the Forces of "Declaration of Freedom and Change," which leads the popular movement, as well as the Revolutionary Front, which includes several armed movements following its signing of the peace agreement with the Sudanese government in Juba.
