Sudan’s Sovereign Council head, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, issued a constitutional decree on May 19 appointing Kamil al-Tayeb Idris as the new prime minister, Al Sharq Al Awsat reported.

He also appointed Salma Abdel Jabbar al-Mubarak and Nawara Mohamed Taher as new members of the Sovereign Council to represent central and eastern Sudan.

Idris’s appointment comes three weeks after diplomat Dafallah Al-Haj Ali was named Prime Minister but did not assume the role. 

The UN Security Council had recently expressed deep concern over a pact by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allies to form a government. It warned it could worsen the war and humanitarian crisis.

The updated constitutional document sets the Sovereign Council at 11 members: six appointed by the military and three by signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement. The council must include women and represent Sudan’s regions.

Al-Burhan can appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister with a recommendation from the transitional legislative authority. Sudan’s transitional period has been extended to a maximum of 39 months unless national consensus or elections are reached sooner.

Sudan has been in turmoil since April 2023, when violent clashes erupted between the army and the RSF. More than 12.5mn people have been displaced, including internally displaced people (IDPs), asylum seekers, and refugees, causing one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands were killed in the ongoing war. 

Who is al-Tayeb Idris? 

Idris, born in 1954, is from the Al-Zourat area north of Dongola, far north of Sudan. Dongola is a Nubian region known for producing many academic and diplomatic professionals. He is a legal expert and academic who has held several high-ranking positions within the UN.

Idris earned a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Cairo University, a Law degree from the University of Khartoum, and a Ph.D. in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. He joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1982 and later became its Director General. He also served as Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. He was a member of the UN International Law Commission for two terms. Additionally, he worked in Sudan's diplomatic corps as an ambassador.

Idris ran as an independent candidate in the 2010 Sudanese presidential election against former President Omar al-Bashir. He is seen as a reformist figure with legal and technical expertise, capable of rebuilding state institutions and restoring international confidence in Sudan.