SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP - Sudan reshuffles government, hoping to appease protesters

9/7/2020: AP - Sudan reshuffles government, hoping to appease protesters

 AP report that Sudan’s transitional government has announced a major Cabinet reshuffle – replacing seven ministers - in hopes to defuse public discontent over economic collapse and other crises following the June 30 rallies.

 Alongside the health, foreign, energy, agriculture and transportation ministers, finance minister Ibrahim Elbadawi was also dismissed despite “spearheading ambitious economic reform plans sought by foreign donors and the International Monetary Fund, which included painful steps like [subsidy cuts]”.

 Sudanese newspaper editor Osman Mirghani said the reshuffle seems unlikely to satisfy demonstrators, with other key officials, such as the commerce minister, keeping their jobs despite calls for them to be dismissed. Mirghani added that “Hamdok was forced” and “the government [lacks] any real road map for how to create deeper change.”

 AP add that the reshuffle gives the government room to appoint several ministers from the Sudan Revolutionary Front coalition of rebel groups, as peace negotiation conditions.