Sudan's new PM says to prioritize national security, state authority

KHARTOUM - Sudan's new Prime Minister Kamil Idris said Sunday that the priorities of his government are to achieve national security and restore the state's authority, among others.

In his first address to Sudan broadcast on state-run Sudan TV, Idris also stressed the need for comprehensive national recovery, an inclusive Sudanese-led dialogue, and the rejection of regionalism and racism.

He also pledged to strengthen Sudan's foreign relations, particularly within the Arab and African regions, and urged the international community to support the country's reconstruction efforts.

"The prime minister's first speech contained intelligent signals, particularly his commitment to an inclusive Sudanese-led dialogue. If he succeeds in delivering on that, it would mark the first step toward success," Osman Mirghani, editor-in-chief of the Sudanese newspaper Al-Tayyar, told Xinhua.

Mirghani added that pursuing a comprehensive political settlement, formulating an ambitious economic program, and establishing dialogue with those countries allegedly supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), should be the new government's priorities.

Idris was sworn in as Sudan's new prime minister on Saturday before Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the country's ruling Transitional Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

Idris's appointment was formalized on May 19 through a constitutional decree issued by Burhan. The decision was welcomed by the United Nations, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

Sudan remains gripped by a conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, both internally and across borders, deepening the country's humanitarian crisis.