Burhan’s Aide Announces Imminent Appointment of New Sudanese Prime Minister

Sudanese Army Commander General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan during a conference in Port Sudan (AFP)
Sudanese Army Commander General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan during a conference in Port Sudan (AFP)
TT

Burhan’s Aide Announces Imminent Appointment of New Sudanese Prime Minister

Sudanese Army Commander General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan during a conference in Port Sudan (AFP)
Sudanese Army Commander General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan during a conference in Port Sudan (AFP)

Ibrahim Jaber, a member of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council and assistant to the army’s commander-in-chief, announced that a new prime minister will be appointed “very soon.” He noted that the candidate will be politically independent and will form a government composed of civilian experts without external interference.

Recent amendments to Sudan’s controversial 2019 Constitutional Document granted the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the authority to appoint and dismiss the prime minister, following a recommendation from the legislative authority.

In an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Jaber revealed that the constitutional amendments also included revisions to the 2021 Investment Law, aimed at reducing bureaucratic hurdles that previously hindered both domestic and foreign investments. He stressed that once the war ends, Sudan will focus on attracting investors across various sectors.

Burhan has previously affirmed his intention to appoint a new prime minister to establish a civilian government, including all military and political forces that supported the army in its conflict against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Following the October 25, 2021, coup, Burhan reinstated 15 acting ministers while maintaining the ministerial quotas allocated to the armed factions that signed the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement.

Jaber assured that the military situation is “under control” and that victory is imminent. He claimed that the Sudanese people have rallied behind the army in its battle against the RSF. He added that the military, alongside joint forces from armed struggle movements and mobilized fighters, has inflicted consecutive defeats on the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).

The Sudanese official also addressed the recent decision to change Sudan’s currency, describing it as a necessary move due to the looting of banks, companies, and citizens’ assets during the war. He noted that many Sudanese have shifted to digital banking applications, reducing reliance on cash.

Jaber highlighted that digital transactions enable the government to monitor financial flows, curb illicit arms trade funding, prevent currency counterfeiting, and facilitate the expansion of banking services into production areas. Additionally, he asserted that electronic banking has significantly improved liquidity in the banking sector following widespread looting.

Jaber chaired the High Committee for Currency Change, which oversaw the replacement of large-denomination banknotes in recent months. Previously, he was also tasked with overseeing key ministries, including livestock, agriculture, trade, industry, investment, international cooperation, communications, and transportation.



Türkiye Begins Black Box Analysis of Jet Crash That Killed Libyan Military Chief and 7 Others

Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)
Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)
TT

Türkiye Begins Black Box Analysis of Jet Crash That Killed Libyan Military Chief and 7 Others

Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)
Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)

The technical analysis of the recovered black boxes from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, began as the investigation proceeded in cooperation with Libyan authorities, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

The private jet with Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officials and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.

The high-level Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after holding defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries.

The wreckage was scattered across an area covering 3 square kilometers (more than a square mile), complicating recovery efforts, according to the Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

A 22-person delegation, including five family members, arrived from Libya early on Wednesday to assist in the investigation.


Lebanese President: We are Determined to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time

President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)
President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)
TT

Lebanese President: We are Determined to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time

President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)
President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Thursday that the country’s parliamentary elections are a constitutional obligation that must be carried out on time.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency quoted Aoun as saying that he, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, is determined to hold the elections on schedule.

Aoun also emphasized that diplomatic efforts have continued unabated to keep the specter of war at bay, noting that "things are heading in a positive direction".

The agency also cited Berri reaffirming that the elections will take place as planned, with "no delays, no extensions".

The Lebanese parliamentary elections are scheduled for May next year.


Israel Calls Countries Condemning New West Bank Settlements ‘Morally Wrong’

Newly constructed buildings are pictured in the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on October 24, 2025. (AFP)
Newly constructed buildings are pictured in the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on October 24, 2025. (AFP)
TT

Israel Calls Countries Condemning New West Bank Settlements ‘Morally Wrong’

Newly constructed buildings are pictured in the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on October 24, 2025. (AFP)
Newly constructed buildings are pictured in the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on October 24, 2025. (AFP)

Israel reacted furiously on Thursday to a condemnation by 14 countries including France and Britain of its approval of new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling the criticism discriminatory against Jews.

"Foreign governments will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel, and any such call is morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said.

"The cabinet decision to establish 11 new settlements and to formalize eight additional settlements is intended, among other things, to help address the security threats Israel is facing."

On Sunday, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that authorities had greenlit the settlements, saying the move was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Fourteen countries, including Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Canada, then issued a statement urging Israel to reverse its decision, "as well as the expansion of settlements".

Such unilateral actions, they said, "violate international law", and risk undermining a fragile ceasefire in Gaza in force since October 10.

They also reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution... where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace and security".

Israel has occupied the West Bank following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Excluding east Jerusalem, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, more than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, along with about three million Palestinian residents.

Earlier this month, the United Nations said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, all of which are illegal under international law, had reached its highest level since at least 2017.