محامي البشير وزيراً للعدل في الحكومة السودانية الجديدة

The Sudanese Prime Minister, Kamal Idris, announced the appointment of Abdullah Darf as Minister of Justice in his new government, which has so far selected 10 ministers.

This choice has sparked a debate, as Darf was a member of the defense team for the ousted president Omar al-Bashir and his aides in the case of undermining the constitutional system.

Darf held several constitutional positions during al-Bashir's regime and was among those who criticized calls for the re-arrest of al-Bashir and his aides who fled from prisons following the outbreak of fighting in Khartoum in mid-April 2023.

It is worth noting that since 2009, the International Criminal Court has been pursuing Omar al-Bashir and several of his aides on charges related to committing crimes against humanity during the Darfur War, which erupted in 2003 and lasted nearly 17 years, witnessing killings, rapes, and displacements affecting more than two million people.

In addition to al-Bashir, the list of accusations includes Ali Kushayb, who is currently on trial at the court in The Hague, former Minister of Defense Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, and National Congress Party leader Ahmed Haroun.

Days after the outbreak of the war in Khartoum, an armed group stormed the Kober and Huda prisons, releasing about 7,000 prisoners, including several of al-Bashir's aides who were being tried in the 1989 coup case, and took with them 28 security officers who were awaiting execution for the murder of teacher Ahmed al-Khair inside his detention center during the movement that toppled al-Bashir's regime.

Yesterday (Thursday), the Sudanese Prime Minister appointed five new ministers as part of completing the formation of his new transitional government, according to an official statement.

The appointments included Mohamed Kertkila Saleh as Minister of Federal Governance and Rural Development, Abdullah Mohamed Darf as Minister of Justice, Jibril Ibrahim as Minister of Finance, along with Mohassen Ali Yaqub as Minister of Industry and Trade, and Bashir Haroun Abdul Karim as Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments.

Idris directed the ministries and relevant authorities to take the necessary measures to implement the decision.

Last week, Idris issued a decision to appoint Moaz Omar Bakheet as Minister of Health, Ismat Qureshi as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, and Ahmed Madawi Musa as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

On June 24, the new Sudanese Prime Minister began announcing his new government formation after more than a month of his appointment as the first head of government following the resignation of former Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok in January 2022.