w T 26 APRIL.1985 MEED 39 FEATURE The new cabinet is intended as technocratic, compromise one, formed from those without party affiliations. Sudan: Dafallah, as leader of the doctors' union, is considered a non-party man. Health & Social Welfare Minister compromise cabinet gets Hussein Abu Salih is leader of the Khartoum teaching hospital doctors, who were the first to come out on guarded welcome strike this year. Another prominent figure from the Gathering of National Forces for the Salvation of the Country, which organised the protests, NEW prime minister, doctors' leader tended for Arab co-financing, had been is Construction & Housing Minister Jizouli Dafallah, has warned that "scaled back," officials told MEED, be Amin Mekki Medani, the lawyer who Sudan's relationship with the IMF must cause of Sudan's arrears to Arab de defended Republican Brother leader be "closely scrutinised." Relations with velopment funds (MEED 14:9:84).The Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, hanged in the US and Egypt will also be "review core project will provide badly-needed January for opposing the Sharia. ed" as part of a move towards a more foreign exchange for agricultural inputs More controversial is the appoint traditional non-aligned foreign policy. and is expected to become effective ment of General Abbas Medani, As a first step in the latter direction, within the next few weeks. The bank's national police chief at the time of the Sudan signed a protocol re-establishing board is also expected to approve a coup, as interior minister, and Bashir diplomatic relations with Libya on 23 S56 million credit for sugar rehabilita Hamed el-Toumi, a Muslim Brother, as April. tion within the next month. The IMF, education minister. Foreign Affairs The make-up of the 15-member meanwhile, is awaiting clearer signals Minister Ibrahim Taha Ayoub is a cabinet, finally announced on 22 April, from Khartoum regarding the new career diplomat, formerly ambassador has provoked controversy and dis government's intentions. to Kenya. Despite his association with appointment in Sudan. Western credi These may be some time in coming, the Nimairi regime he has been critical tors, however, are generally pleased with the announcement of the cabinet recently. He has good contacts in with the economic team now in place. adding fuel to controversy rather than Ethiopia - where he also served —with Finance & Economic Planning Mini dampening it down as had been hop which the new government is also try ster Awad Abdel-Majid, a Bank of ed. No justice minister has been ing to improve relations. Sudan (central bank) governor in the appointed, a reflection of continuing Controversy has centred on the mid-1970s, is considered a "good man" disagreement on whether Sharia (Isla appointment to the cabinet of three by US State Department officials. mic law), introduced by former pre southern politicians —all regional mini Washington-based finance officials re sident Nimairi in 1983, should be abo sters under Nimairi. Deputy Prime gard him as a "straightforward type" lished or merely revised (MEED Minister and Irrigation Minister Samuel with the ability to deal with the 19:4:85, page 32). Aru Bol was a member of the political country's economic and financial pro blems. At one stage on the board of bureau of the Sudanese Socialist Union, while Transport & Communica directors of Barclays Bank Interna-^ tions Minister Peter Gatkuth was head tional, Abdel-Majid has run an import GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN of a caretaker government in the south business in Khartoum in recent years. Commerce, Co-operation & Supply Formed 25 April 1985 in 1980. Public Service & Labour Mini ster Oliver Albino is also a former Minister Sid Ahmed Sayed is a former minister in the south. Finance Ministry budget expert. Prime Minister Jizouli Dafallah Deputy Prime Minister, Irrigation Samuel Despite the new government's fresh Apart from Dafallah's warning on > AIU Uul ——— • attempts at negotiation, Sudan relations with the IMF — and evident Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Taha Ayoub People's Liberation Army (SPLA) local pressure for the reinstatement of Defence Brigadier-General Osman Abdallah leader John Garang has dismissed it as subsidies — few indications of the new Mohammed a continuation of the Nimairi military government's economic line have Interior General Abbas Medani regime. The SPLA has renounced the emerged. The three priorities, Dafallah Finance & Economic Planning Awad truce announced at the time of the says, are to cement democracy, reach a el-Karim Abdel-Majid Commerce, Co-operation & Supply Sid coup. The failure for the moment to settlement with the south and tackle Ahmed Sayed end the fighting in the south has put the current economic problems. On 21 Energy, Industry & Mining Abdel-Aziz paid to hopes that Chevron Corpora April, General Abdel-Rahman Swar el- Osman Moussa tion's all-important oil export pipe Dahab — chairman of the interim mili Agriculture & Natural Resources Sadiq line and construction of the Jonglei tary council, which retains supreme Abdin canal can quickly be reactivated. control — appealed for a further Information & Culture Mohammed Beshir The US and other creditors have 430,000 tonnes in food aid. Over 1 Hamed reacted calmly to the new govern million children were threatened with Education Bashir Hamed el-Toumi ment's statements on the economy starvation, he said. Health & Social Welfare Hussein Abu Saieh and foreign policy but will view with For its part, the World Bank is Construction & Housing Amin Mekki Medani alarm the continuation of a conflict signalling confidence in the new Public Service & Labour Oliver Albino Transport & Communications Peter Gatkuth which has already done much to government with plans to activate the Justice no appointment deepen Sudan's economic problems. already approved S74 million loan for the Gezira agricultural rehabilitation GILL LUSK in Khartoum programme. The project, originally in and JONATHAN FRIEDLAND in Washington.