Nyala, October 15 (Darfur24)
The health minister of the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS), Dr. Alaa al-Din Nugud, has left Nyala amid escalating disputes over medicine imports and the management of international support to the health sector, sources told Darfur24 on Thursday.
Sources within the ministry said the dispute centres on a proposal by the Cabinet undersecretary to channel international aid allocated to the Health Ministry through the Cabinet rather than directly to the ministry’s departments.
According to the sources, Prime Minister Al-Ta’aishi supports the proposal, while Naqd opposes it, deepening tensions between the two officials.
The sources further alleged that an influential Cabinet official has business partnerships with Indian companies importing medicines into Nyala through Uganda and South Sudan. Some of the imported products reportedly do not meet Sudanese specifications, they said, adding that health professionals had previously raised concerns about their quality without action being taken.
The sources said disagreements over control of the health sector had persisted for months. Naqd reportedly submitted his resignation about six months ago, citing internal disputes and what he described as growing interference by the Rapid Support Forces’ medical department in the ministry’s operations, including the importation of medicines and medical equipment.
Interventions by coalition leaders prevented him from proceeding with his resignation at the time, according to the sources.
They added that Naqd left Nyala, the administrative capital of the government, about three months ago and travelled to Nairobi, where he remains.
Last Friday, a delegation from the Government of National Accord, including Alaa El-Din Nugud and Ammar Amum, met Lawrence Korbandi, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) representative on the five-member mediation committee, in Nairobi.
A statement issued by the government said the meeting discussed developments in the Sudanese crisis, prospects for a political settlement and the outcomes of the committee’s recent mediation efforts. The statement identified Amum as foreign minister but did not specify Nugud’s position as health minister.
The reported disputes come amid complaints from medical workers and residents in areas controlled by the alliance about the quality and effectiveness of some medicines. Concerns have also been raised over storage and transportation conditions and compliance with Sudanese specifications, including for products sold under trade names resembling those of medicines manufactured by well-known pharmaceutical companies.