PORT SUDAN – Sudan’s de facto Prime Minister, Kamil Idris, has appointed five new ministers to the “Hope Government,” operating from Port Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)-controlled administrative capital. The appointments, announced Tuesday via the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA), are part of Idris’s phased plan to complete his cabinet amid ongoing war and political fragmentation.
The de facto Prime Minister’s office said the selections came after a ” thorough assessment of national capabilities,” and emphasized the importance of technocratic appointments over political quotas.
Among the key figures is Khalid Al-Ayasir, who returns as Minister of Culture and Information. Al-Ayasir, a media professional with previous experience in the role, is seen as a loyalist voice within the de facto transitional administration. His reappointment is viewed as a move to maintain message control in a highly polarized media environment.
Nour Al-Daem Taha was named Minister of Minerals, while professor Ahmed Al-Tijani Abdulrahim Al-Mansouri has been appointed Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources, a strategic portfolio given Sudan’s reliance on livestock and exports.
Mutasim Ahmed Saleh Adam will head the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Welfare. Meanwhile, Saif Al-Nasr Al-Tijai Haroun was appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, a key position at a time when access routes and national infrastructure have been heavily affected by conflict.
With these five additions, 15 out of 22 ministerial position have now been filled. Kamil Idris has said the remaining portfolios will be announced gradually, following what he described last month as a “measured and inclusive process.”
Idris has positioned the Hope Government as non-partisan, a claim that has draw significant criticism from Sudanese political and civilian actors. Many accused the administration of lacking broad representation, arguing that any cabinet formed under the SAF’s military control cannot reflect the diversity of the Sudanese political landscape.
It also remains unclear whether the Hope Government plans to remain in Port Sudan or eventually move back to the capital, Khartoum, which is under the control of the SAF. Calls for the government to return to Khartoum have grown, with many arguing that such a move could signal hope and encourage stability.
Meanwhile, the war between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to devastate Sudan. Over 10 million people have been displaced, and large swathes of the country remain inaccessible to humanitarian organizations.
Still, the administration’s efforts to present itself as a functioning authority face major challenges. with vast regions inaccessible, state institutions fragmented, and trust in governance eroded, the effectiveness of this Port Sudan-based de facto government remains in question.
