New Sudanese Government Takes Constitutional Oath

Part of the new Sudanese cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony at the Republican Palace in Khartoum on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 (AFP)
Part of the new Sudanese cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony at the Republican Palace in Khartoum on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 (AFP)
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New Sudanese Government Takes Constitutional Oath

Part of the new Sudanese cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony at the Republican Palace in Khartoum on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 (AFP)
Part of the new Sudanese cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony at the Republican Palace in Khartoum on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 (AFP)

Sudan's newly-appointed ministers took the constitutional oath on Wednesday before Sovereign Council chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, in the presence of the Chief Justice Nemat Abdullah.

Also, three leaders of the armed movements are expected to take the constitutional oath as members of the Transitional Sovereign Council.

Burhan reiterated that the path of change and revolution will continue to unfold because it is guarded by the Sudanese people’s will.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, he stressed that the new government will not disappoint the Sudanese people, who suffered enough in the past period.

Sudan is going through difficult circumstances, which require unity and cohesion to get rid of all the obstacles that hinder its progress.

“The previous government did its best but faced many dilemmas and obstacles,” he noted, stressing the importance of pledging to join hands to be able to complete the state apparatus and proceed in the democratic transition.

Hamdok, for his part, described the new government as representing a “broad political alliance capable of saving the country from collapse.”

This second cabinet was formed in light of a great revolution and very complex circumstances accompanied by economic and security challenges, he explained.

He affirmed that the coming days will witness consensus on an agenda that addresses the basic issues in the country.

Minister of Cabinet Affairs Khalid Omar said the new cabinet “reflects the unique diversity in the country’s history,” hoping to fulfill the peace process so that it is more representative of Sudan’s social and political bases.

In the cabinet’s first press conference, Omar confirmed that the new government agreed on a vision for the transitional program, which prioritizes economic reform.

He pointed out that the previous government had begun taking steps to address the structural economic crises, yet no results have been seen on the ground.

The new government, he added, will ensure addressing the economic issue and will work on security and military reform, provide safety for all citizens, achieve comprehensive transitional justice to hold criminals accountable, compensate victims and prepare the conditions to hold free and fair elections at the end of the transitional period.



Israeli Minister Says Time Running out for Diplomatic Solution with Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israeli artillery shells an area of Al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 11 September 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
Israeli artillery shells an area of Al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 11 September 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
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Israeli Minister Says Time Running out for Diplomatic Solution with Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israeli artillery shells an area of Al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 11 September 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
Israeli artillery shells an area of Al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 11 September 2024. EPA/ATEF SAFADI

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday that the window was closing for a diplomatic solution to the standoff with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon.

Gallant's remarks came as the White House Special envoy Amos Hochstein visited Israel to discuss the crisis on the northern border where Israeli troops have been exchanging missile fire with Hezbollah forces for months.

"The possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out," Gallant told Austin in a phone call, according to a statement from his office, Reuters reported.

As long as Hezbollah continued to tie itself to Hamas in Gaza, where Israeli forces have been engaged for almost a year, "the trajectory is clear," he said.

The visit by Hochstein, who is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes amid efforts to find a diplomatic path out of the crisis, which has forced tens of thousands on both sides of the border to leave their homes.

On Monday, Israeli media reported that the head of the army's northern command had recommended a rapid border operation to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

While the war in Gaza has been Israel's main focus since the attack by Hamas-led gunmen on Oct. 7 last year, the precarious situation in the north has fuelled fears of a regional conflict that could drag in the United States and Iran.

A missile barrage by Hezbollah the day after Oct. 7 opened the latest phase of conflict and since then there have been daily exchanges of rockets, artillery fire and missiles, with Israeli jets striking deep into Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah has said it does not seek a wider war at present but would fight if Israel launched one.

Israeli officials have said for months that Israel cannot accept the clearance of its northern border areas indefinitely but while troops remain committed to Gaza, there have also been questions about the military's readiness for an invasion of southern Lebanon.

However, some of the hardline members of the Israeli government have been pressing for action and on Monday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a longtime foe of Gallant, called for him to be sacked.

"We need a decision in the north and Gallant is not the right person to lead it," he said in a statement on the social media platform X.

Hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and dozens of Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed in the exchanges of fire, which have left communities on both sides of the border as virtual ghost towns.