SAF-allied JEM denies reports of finance minister’s resignation

PORT SUDAN – The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a former Darfur rebel faction allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the current conflict, has dismissed circulating reports that its leader, Jibril Ibrahim, has stepped down as Sudan’s Finance Minister.

Ibrahim left for the United States on October 20, leading the Sudanese delegation at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group held in Washington, D.C., from October 21 to October 26.

Since his departure, social media has been rife with rumors suggesting a rift between former rebel groups, including JEM, and the military in Port Sudan, Sudan’s temporary capital. Speculation points to alleged grievances among former Darfur rebels over the military’s perceived lack of support in combating the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

However, in a statement issued Sunday, JEM spokesperson Mohammed Zakaria Farajallah clarified that Ibrahim is on official duty abroad and dismissed the rumors of his resignation or any emergency executive meeting within the movement.

“The Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement confirms that Dr. Jibril Ibrahim, the Minister of Finance and President of the Movement, is on an official mission abroad,” Farajallah said in the statement sent to Sudans Post.

“There is no truth to the reports about a meeting of its executive office or that its president has submitted a resignation from the position of Minister of Finance. These circulated reports are completely unfounded,” he added.

The rumors about Ibrahim’s potential resignation surface amid renewed tensions within the government following the dismissal of the Sudan Tax Authority’s secretary-general, a JEM member who is also Ibrahim’s brother-in-law. Government officials removed the secretary-general and subsequently opened applications for the role, reportedly without consulting the finance minister, who had initially appointed him as part of an arrangement with the military.

According to information provided to Sudans Post, JEM is reportedly conducting urgent consultations to evaluate the situation and is “closely monitoring developments.”