Sudan’s New Defense and Interior Ministers Sworn In

Sudan's new defence and interior ministers are sworn in before the head of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Port Sudan, June 28, 2025. Sovereign Council photo

June 28, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s new defence and interior ministers were sworn in on Saturday before army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the ruling Sovereign Council said, as the country grapples with ongoing conflict and widespread insecurity.

The appointments are a step towards forming a new government, dubbed the “Government of Hope,” by Prime Minister Kamil Idris, who named Hassan Daoud Kabroun as Defence Minister and Babikir Samra as Interior Minister on June 24.

“Minister of Defence Hassan Kabroun and Minister of the Interior Babikir Samra took the oath before al-Burhan,” the Sovereignty Council said in a statement.

The new Defence Minister, Hassan Kabroun, pledged to work towards achieving security and stability, and to cooperate with other state agencies.

“Sudan is going through difficult circumstances that require unity to preserve its territorial integrity,” Kabroun said in a press statement, adding he would work to ensure the rule of law.

The government formation faces challenges from some signatories of the 2020 Juba peace agreement, who insist their leaders remain in ministerial posts. This includes the finance ministry, previously held by Gibril Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement. Critics of the agreement argue that it allocated a 25% share of executive posts to Darfur movements without specifying the relevant ministries.

Interior Minister Babikir Samra stated that the state could overcome its current security challenges and that his ministry would focus on establishing security and providing services to citizens. He said he intended to develop an emergency security plan “to impose the authority of the state and the rule of law.”

The appointments come amidst reports of widespread looting in the capital, Khartoum and Al Jazirah state. Some reports allege the involvement of army elements and the intimidation of citizens who report the crimes in cooperation with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).