Sudan’s new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has announced his cabinet, the first since the signing of a three-year power-sharing agreement between civilians and the military.
The country now has its first female foreign minister – Asmaa Abdallah – and there will be three other women among the 18 ministers.
Jamal Omar, an army general, becomes defence minister and El-Trafi Idris Dafallah, a senior police officer, is interior minister.
Mr Hamdok, who has served as a UN economist, said after announcing the cabinet:
Today we begin a new era.
The top priority of the transition government is to end the war and build sustainable peace.”
Sudan has endured years of insurgencies and months of political turmoil including the overthrow in April of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.
The military and pro-democracy movement then became locked in a tussle for power that has led to mass protests and killings.
Ibrahim Ahmed El-Badawi was named as minister of finance – and his greatest challenge will be dealing with the country’s chronic foreign exchange shortage, after the loss of most of its oilfields when South Sudan seceded in 2011.
The country has difficulties importing basic goods – and the rise in the price of bread at the end of last year are what prompted the street protests that led to Mr Bashir’s removal from power.
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