Faith Nyasuguta
Just one day after taking the oath of office, Sudan’s new Prime Minister Kamil Idris has dissolved the country’s transitional government, sending ripples across a war-torn nation desperate for stability.
The announcement, delivered by Sudan’s state news agency SUNA late Sunday, marks a dramatic start for the first civilian leader since a military coup four years ago.
Idris stepped into the role amid a devastating civil war that erupted in April 2023, when power struggles between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated into open warfare. The capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur have borne the brunt of the fighting.
In his first public address, Idris struck a defiant tone, urging foreign backers of the RSF to end their “criminal operations” in Sudan. “I vow to serve this nation and the Sudanese people with the utmost sincerity and dedication,” he declared, without revealing when a new cabinet will be formed.
The move to dissolve the caretaker government, originally installed after the military seized power in 2021, signals Idris’s intent to steer Sudan’s fragile transition away from military dominance. But with no new government announced, uncertainty looms over how long a leadership vacuum might persist, especially with millions in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
The human cost of the war is staggering. At least 24,000 people are confirmed dead, though aid agencies believe the true figure is far higher. Over 14 million people have been displaced, including more than 4 million who have fled to neighboring countries in search of safety.
Darfur, once the center of a brutal conflict two decades ago, has again become a tragic symbol of Sudan’s suffering. The United Nations and rights groups have reported war crimes, including mass killings and sexual violence, particularly targeting ethnic groups. The region is now also the epicenter of a growing famine, with five locations officially declared as famine zones.
As Idris takes the helm in one of the most perilous chapters in Sudan’s history, the question remains: Can he rally a nation torn apart by war, displacement, and hunger? For now, the country waits—hopeful, anxious, and wary of what comes next.
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