Government Moves to Reduce Workforce and Activate Early Retirement

The Federal Council of Ministers has decided to form a technical committee to study the status and conduct a census of employees in the federal government, based on directives issued by the Prime Minister during Session No. (4) held on April 16, 2026.

Pursuant to the directive, Minister of Human Resources and Social Welfare, Mua’tasim Ahmed Salih, issued Ministerial Decision No. (22) on April 29, establishing a committee tasked with surveying federal government employees, chaired by State Minister at the Ministry of Finance, Mohamed Nour Al-Dayem.

The committee’s responsibilities include conducting a census of federal government employees, identifying employees who do not meet the conditions for early retirement, developing a vision for reducing the workforce, and submitting recommendations on how the reductions should be implemented. The committee is also authorized to access all information and data and to seek assistance from any parties it deems appropriate.

The number of civil service employees in Sudan has witnessed a sharp decline following the April 2023 war, as large numbers of workers were displaced to other states or sought refuge in neighboring countries. Federal ministries had relied on only 15 percent of government employees to maintain operations while based in Port Sudan, and this percentage was later increased to 20 percent after the return to Khartoum.

Special sources speaking to Al-Muhaqqiq disclosed part of the discussions surrounding the issue of federal government employees, the conclusion of which was: if the federal government’s work can be managed with only 20 percent of the workforce, why retain the full staffing levels?

The decision issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Welfare did not specify a deadline for the committee to complete its work.