Sudan has sworn in its first government since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir from power in April, part of a power-sharing agreement between the military and pro-democracy demonstrators.

Military and pro-democracy advocates signed the agreement in August after pressure from the United States and several Arab allies, who feared an ongoing political crisis stemming from the protests may lead to civil war.

Asma Abdalla is Sudan's first female foreign minister

Heading Sudan's new 18-member Cabinet is Prime Minister is Abdallah Hamdok, chosen by the Alliance for Freedom and Change (AFC), which coordinated the pro-democracy protests.

Taking the oath of office with him on Sunday was Asmaa Abdalla, Sudan's first female foreign minister, and former World Bank economist Ibrahim Elbadawi as minister of finance.

Priorities for the fledgling government in the first 200 days are to "restructure the budget, control prices and tackle youth unemployment," according to Elbadawi.

Road to democracy

Ahead of the ceremony, the African Union (AU) on Friday said it had renewed Sudan's membership after initially suspending it when security forces violently broke up the main protest camp in Khartoum in June, killing over 100 people.

The AU said in a tweet that it is committed to "support its reconstruction and international mobilization efforts."

The Cabinet is transitional and expected to manage the daily running of the East African nation for a transition period of 39 months.

The power-sharing agreement between the military council and the AFC also includes a joint military-civilian Sovereign Council and a legislative body. The three bodies will share governance for a little more than three years until elections can be held.

This outcome came as a result of widely-expressed doubts over whether the military, which initially took control following the ousting of al-Bashir, would pave the way for eventual civilian rule, in particular following the Khartoum massacre.

Al-Bashir was ousted by the military in April after months of protests by pro-democracy protesters. He came to power in June 1989 after leading a military coup against his predecessor, Ahmad Ali al-Mirghani. He has been accused of genocide and war crimes, with recent economic policy leading to soaring food prices and fuel shortages.

The women of Sudan's protests The returnee Khadija Saleh lived abroad for six years before she returned to her homeland in March to take part in the anti-Bashir protests. "I came back from a safer place because I want a better future for this country," the 41-year-old said.

The women of Sudan's protests The activist On June 3, security forces violently disbanded a protest camp near the Ministry of Defense in Khartoum. Nahid Gabralla, 53, was beaten and threatened with rape. "My daughter deserves to live in a nice country... we will fight for a democratic Sudan, real change and for our rights"

The women of Sudan's protests The adviser Hadia Hasaballah works for an NGO that takes care of the victims of the June 3 crackdown. Witnesses and activists reported that women were sexually abused during the operation. The government has not confirmed the reports. "None of the Sudanese women will officially say that they were raped because of the stigma," Hasaballah said.

The women of Sudan's protests The silent fighter Under al-Bashir's rule, women were forced to adhere to strict codes of conduct. They could be arrested if they wore trousers. Mahi Aba-Yazid wore trousers while she took part in the protests at the camp on June 3. She too was beaten by security forces. The 35-year-old believes that her choice of clothing has had more of an impact than her engagement.

The women of Sudan's protests The self-determined student "I don't want to wear headscarf, but it is not my choice. I want my right to wear what I want," says Duha Mohmed. The 23-year-old student explains one of the reasons she took part in the protests.

The women of Sudan's protests The optimist Nagda Mansour sat for 75 days in a prison because she took part in a demonstration in December. The 39-year-old translator has a problem with accepting the idea of negotiating with the military because of its role in the war in Darfur. The agreement protesters have made to share power with the military is in her eyes only "the beginning, not the end."

The women of Sudan's protests The mother Manal Farah, 49, begged her son not to take part in the protests because she feared the violence. The 22-year-old student was killed on June 3. "When he started in university he started to ask why there is corruption in Sudan. He said there must be a change, a new Sudan ... I pray for my son's dreams to come true," she said. Author: Sabine Faber (with Reuters)



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