The Toughest Test Yet for Sudan’s New Prime Minister

By: Al-Sadiq Al-Raziqi

Sudan’s new Prime Minister, Dr. Kamal El-Tayeb Idris, who was appointed on Monday, faces enormous challenges. His selection came after a long and complicated process that began in October 2021. All eyes had been searching for a suitable candidate, based on the realities on the ground and the criteria set by the Sovereignty Council: the Prime Minister must be an independent figure, ideally a technocrat.

Dr. Idris would not have assumed this role amid Sudan’s complex circumstances and volatile regional and international environment were it not for pressing political considerations and highly sensitive domestic calculations. These tipped the balance in his favor over other candidates and propelled him to Sudan’s political hot seat.

With a background in law and experience in diplomacy—having served two consecutive terms as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a UN agency—Dr. Kamal Idris has been a prominent name in Sudanese political circles for nearly two decades. He has frequently been among the top contenders for the post of Prime Minister or Foreign Minister since his political emergence during the rule of former President Omar al-Bashir.

He was relatively unknown in Sudanese political circles until he arranged a rare meeting in 1999 between the late Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, then Speaker of Parliament and ideological architect of the ruling regime, and the late Sadiq al-Mahdi, then Sudan’s most prominent opposition leader.

Dr. Idris entered politics visibly by hosting that meeting in his home in Geneva, seeing himself as a unifying figure and a promoter of national reconciliation. That move granted him access to the political arena and made him a favored candidate whenever a top-level appointment seemed imminent.

Since then, Dr. Kamal Idris has remained present on Sudan’s political scene. He played significant roles during the Bashir era, particularly after the outbreak of the Darfur rebellion in 2003 and the issuance of International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants in 2007 against several Sudanese officials, including President Bashir himself. Idris seized the moment, arranging secret meetings in Geneva between Sudan’s Minister of State for Justice (who later served as Foreign Minister) and the ICC Prosecutor.

Idris maintains a special relationship with Luis Moreno Ocampo, the ICC’s former Chief Prosecutor. They were colleagues at an American university—one heading WIPO, the other the ICC. Those meetings between Ocampo and Sudanese officials reportedly numbered over thirty, although they ultimately failed to resolve Sudan’s legal challenges.

After completing his term at WIPO, Idris turned to political engagement more directly. His name resurfaced multiple times, especially when Bashir adopted the recommendation of the National Dialogue Conference to create a Prime Minister post and separate the executive from the sovereign authority. However, his nominations were consistently blocked by various obstacles. He was also nominated for the post of Foreign Minister but was unsuccessful.

When protests erupted in December 2018 against Bashir’s regime, Dr. Kamal Idris openly supported the demonstrators. He issued statements and video messages endorsing the uprising.

Following the fall of Bashir’s government, Idris’s name again surfaced as a potential Prime Minister. However, leftist factions, certain groups within the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), and foreign actors opposed his candidacy, favoring Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, then Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). After Hamdok’s appointment, Idris receded from public view but maintained a low-profile presence during the transition period.

His name was put forward again after the October 25, 2021, military takeover that removed the FFC from power and saw Hamdok’s exit from office. However, his nomination stalled for nearly four years.

In the lead-up to and during the war, Dr. Idris continued to appear in political discourse, presenting national initiatives aimed at unifying political factions. However, lacking a political party or affiliation, he was perceived as an elite Sudanese figure with a distinguished international career, mainly through UN agencies and Western connections.

His initiatives were mostly expressions of goodwill, calling for dialogue and reconciliation. He contributed written visions, including a published book outlining his vision for Sudan’s future.

After the outbreak of war and the worsening of Sudan’s internal situation—including the suspension of Sudan’s African Union membership and halted cooperation with the European Union—a civilian government led by a civilian Prime Minister became a pressing necessity. This was seen as key to restoring Sudan’s AU membership and reengaging with the EU and Western partners, who had made such a government a prerequisite.

Among many contenders, Dr. Kamal Idris remained a consistent frontrunner. Sudanese media and social networks were filled with calls either supporting or opposing his appointment. As with the poetry of Nizar Qabbani: you either adore him passionately or detest him with equal intensity.

It appears that Dr. Kamal Idris’s political fortune has finally aligned with his aspirations. He has now been appointed to the role he has long desired—one that he repeatedly approached but never held until now. With broad executive powers in hand, the question is: what are the challenges ahead, and can he pass this ultimate test by leading Sudan toward stability?

Answering these questions requires a closer look at the main challenges:

1. The War:
The ongoing conflict is the greatest challenge. Dr. Idris must align with the Sovereignty Council and military leadership. He must contribute to ending the rebellion and lead the internal political process while engaging externally to protect Sudan from regional conspiracies. He must restore Sudan’s rightful place in Africa, regain momentum in countering the rebellion and its foreign backers, and manage relationships with neighboring countries entangled in the war.

2. Rebuilding the State:
Reconstructing and revitalizing state institutions is a complex internal challenge. The Prime Minister must form a highly competent, non-partisan government with a realistic program to rebuild trust in the state, restore public services, return displaced persons and refugees, and repair the country’s social fabric torn by regional, ethnic, and tribal divisions and hate speech.

3. Economic Recovery:
Sudanese citizens expect a comprehensive vision for national revival and economic recovery. Dr. Idris must present viable plans to harness Sudan’s resources and international relations to attract aid, loans, and investment. A revitalized economy must include sector-wide initiatives to boost production and restore economic health.

4. Distance from Domestic Realities:
Perhaps the greatest challenge is that Dr. Idris comes from outside Sudan’s internal context. His professional career included only brief stints at the Foreign Ministry before a long international tenure, leaving him distant from the country’s structural, political, and service-related issues. He lacks direct experience with the state’s inner workings and Sudan’s deeply rooted societal ills, such as tribalism, regionalism, racism, and ethnic tensions. Addressing these problems requires deep, local knowledge and practical expertise.

In conclusion, the new Prime Minister’s greatest test lies in navigating the internal power dynamics, overcoming foreign polarization, revitalizing state institutions, appointing capable ministers and advisors, combating corruption, and restoring hope among Sudanese citizens. Indeed, it is an arduous task—like threading a needle through thorns.

Source: Al Jazeera Net