Abdalla Hamdok

Abdalla Hamdok Al-Kinani (also transliterated Abdallah,

Following the transfer of power from the Transitional Military Council to the Sovereignty Council of Sudan during the 2019 plan for a transition to democracy, the Sovereignty Council appointed Hamdok as prime minister. He was sworn in on 21 August 2019. On 21 November 2021, all political prisoners were freed and Hamdok was reinstated as prime minister as part of an agreement with the military. Hamdok resigned on 2 January 2022 amid continuing protests. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Khartoum and a doctorate in economic studies from the University of Manchester. except for one security officer who was "lightly wounded."

October 2021 coup

On 25 October 2021, the Sudanese military, headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrested Hamdok and other senior government figures in a coup d'état. The Ministry of Information declared that Hamdok was "still the legitimate transitional authority in the country" and called for the "immediate release of the prime minister and all detained officials". The ministry also stated that "all unilateral measures and decisions taken by the military component lack any constitutional basis, violate the law, and are considered a crime." On 27 October, representatives of the European Union, Norway, Jordan, Libya, Somalia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Israel, South Sudan, Haiti, Venezuela, Paraguay, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom declared that their countries "continue to recognize the Prime Minister [Hamdok] and his cabinet as the constitutional leaders of the transitional government".

On 21 November 2021, Hamdok was reinstated as prime minister after a political agreement was signed by Sudan's top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to restore the transition to civilian rule. The 14-point deal called for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup and stipulated that a 2019 constitutional declaration be the basis for a political transition. However, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) civilian coalition, which shared power with the military, and the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) both rejected the political deal. Large crowds of protestors also took to the streets to reject any deal involving the military. According to a spokesperson, this agreement was not voluntary on Hamdok's behalf, as "the pact had been struck with a gun to his head." At first it remained unclear how much power Hamdok and his cabinet would have after being reinstated as prime minister. However, by mid-December 2021, Hamdok was confident enough to dismiss the acting governors who had been appointed by General al- Burhan. He also replaced several government ministers appointed by the military, including some with close links to the previous regime of Omar al-Bashir.

Resignation as prime minister On 2 January 2022, Hamdok announced his resignation as prime minister in a televised speech, saying that the country was at a dangerous turning point and roundtable discussion was needed to come to a new agreement for Sudan's political transition to democracy. According to sources contacted by CNN, Hamdok's resignation was triggered by the military reneging on a "non-interference" agreement.

2023 Sudan war In the 2023 Sudanese war, Hamdok led the Tagadum in peace negotiations. Tagadum announced its dissolution on 10 February 2025, with Hamdok forming a new body, known as the Civil Democratic Alliance of the Forces of the Revolution (Sumoud), the following day.

On 23 October 2025, the Central Bank of Sudan froze Hamdok's assets after he was accused of supporting the RSF. On 19 January 2026 a trial was started against Hamdok in the anti-terrorism court in Port Sudan.

Views Agriculture Hamdok has pushed for a change from subsistence agriculture to "more dynamic, commercial oriented" agriculture in Africa, stating in 2014 that despite the fact 300 million Africans suffer from hunger, Africa should be capable of food self-sufficiency. Referring to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) estimate of the effects of a 2-degree Celsius global average warming above pre-industrial levels, Hamdok noted that effects such as reduced rainfall could prevent Africa from reducing extreme poverty. To combat hunger, Hamdok proposed infrastructure improvements (such as methods of transforming, storing and transporting excess produce to markets); the use of "climate information"; improved water management; and greater integration of agriculture with national industry and science and technology research institutions. During his term, he also dealt with the continent's 2019–2021 locust infestation.

Women's rights As prime minister, Hamdok had the role in late August 2019 of selecting ministers from a list of candidates proposed to him by the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), apart from the ministers of interior and defence, to be chosen by military members of the Sovereignty Council. Hamdok delayed his decision on which candidates to select, stating that one of his reasons for objecting was that too few women were present on the list. He stated that he would "take into account a fair representation of women". In 2020, Hamdok passed a law to prohibit female genital mutilation.

Personal life Hamdok married fellow economist Muna Abdalla in 1993 in south Manchester. They have two adult sons; one studying at Exeter University and one who graduated from a university in the United States in the late 2010s.