AU praises Sudan for appointing new prime minister

The African Union has expressed its strong appreciation for Sudan's recent appointment of a civilian prime minister, which is seen as essential to the country's efforts to restore constitutional order and transition toward democratic governance.

The appointment of Kamil Idris to lead the government would help in stabilizing the nation and laying the groundwork for a return to civilian-led governance following a period of military domination, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairman of the African Union Commission, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The chairman urges all Sudanese stakeholders to "redouble their efforts toward a peaceful, civilian-led, and inclusive transition that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people", the statement said.

"The chairperson reiterates the African Union's firm commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and stability of Sudan and to the pursuit of a durable political solution that secures peace, development, and democratic governance for all Sudanese," it said.

The statement follows the formal appointment of Idris as the new prime minister of Sudan by Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, also chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, the previous day. As the former director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, Idris also served in Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the country's permanent mission to the UN.

Displacement crisis

The appointment comes as Sudan marks two years of devastating civil war, which began in April 2023, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. According to a number of humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council, this violent conflict has led to the largest displacement crisis in history as well as a worsening humanitarian crisis that is still terribly underfunded and underreported.

Since the start of the war, an estimated 150,000 people have died, and more than 14 million people have been displaced. This includes 11.3 million internally displaced people in Sudan and more than 3 million who have fled across borders, mostly into South Sudan, Egypt, Chad and other countries, according to the UN humanitarian organization UNHCR.

An estimated 24.6 million people, or nearly half of the population, are currently suffering from severe hunger due to the conflict, with malnutrition common among children in displacement camps, making them especially vulnerable, according to the UN.

Idris is the first prime minister appointed in Sudan for more than three years since the last prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, resigned in 2022.

The African Union has repeatedly demanded a complete return to civilian governance and the restoration of a democratic path in Sudan in a number of AU communiques and statements.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.