Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Monday appointed Darfur rebel leader Gibril Ibrahim as finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

Hamdok announced his new cabinet, which includes ministers from the Sudan Revolutionary Front, an alliance of armed groups, in a televised news conference in the capital, Khartoum. 

"We have reached consensus on over 25 ministries," Hamdok said. "This lineup aims to preserve this country from collapse... we know there will be challenges but we are certain that we will move forward."

Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, a leader of the popular Umma Party and daughter of a former prime minister and former President Omar al Bashir opponent Sadiq al-Mahdi, has also been named as foreign minister, in the new appointments.

The Prime Minister dissolved his cabinet on Sunday evening to pave way for a new, more inclusive one in conformity with a peace deal signed by the Sudanese government and armed groups in Juba, South Sudan, on Oct. 3, 2020, that stipulates the involvement of the signatory groups in the transitional period structures, including the sovereign council, the cabinet, and the legislative council.

The reshuffle is part of the government's efforts to introduce reforms to tackle the country’s economic woes and allow democratic transformation in Sudan.