Sudanese military chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Thursday appointed 15 ministers to a new government, despite growing anti-coup protests in the country, reported The BBC News.
The appointments include Ali Sadek Ali for the foreign ministry and Mohammed Abdallah Mahmoud for the energy portfolio. No prime minister or defense or interior ministers were named.
The latest development comes three months after General al-Burhan seized power in a military coup that overthrew the civilian-led government of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok. The coup derailed a planned transition that began after the ouster of former leader Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 uprising and was meant to lead to democratic elections.
There have been frequent mass protests since the October military coup. At least 72 civilians have died and more than 2,000 have been injured as security forces have cracked down on frequent demonstrations, according to medics aligned with the protest movement. Sudanese security forces continued to fire tear gas at protesters on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese head of judiciary and judges condemned the killing of protesters and called for an investigation in rare public statements.
A joint statement from 55 Sudanese judges to the judiciary chief said military leaders had violated agreements and covenants since the October coup, as they have carried out the most heinous violations against defenseless protesters.
They called for an end to the violence and a criminal investigation.
On Thursday, the United States has also reiterated that it will not resume economic assistance to Sudan unless there is an end to violence and a civilian-led government is restored. The US suspended $700 million of assistance to Sudan as part of wider international punitive measures in response to the coup.
During a visit to Sudan, the two senior U.S. envoys called for independent investigations into deaths and injuries among those protesting against the Sudanese military since last year’s coup.
