Sudani revives DG appointments amid signs of political bargaining

The Council of Ministers approved the permanent appointment of 19 directors general this week, across a range of ministries and government agencies. They include individuals who were previously working in an acting capacity. While the number is small, the move marks the first time in over a year that the Sudani government has taken action on the DG file—an issue that had previously been central to Sudani's governance reform agenda.

The new appointments include positions in the ministries of Health, Education, Interior, Finance, Electricity, Communications, Trade, Industry, Agriculture, Water Resources, Youth and Sports, Culture, Labor and Social Affairs, and Construction and Housing. Notably, some of the DGs were appointed to sub-national health directorates in Basra, Muthana and Najaf—positions that, while nominally administrative, are often politically contested due to the resources and influence they command. Though the list is not concentrated in any one ministry or sector, its very dispersal suggests a deliberate effort to touch multiple nodes of bureaucratic authority, reassert influence, and perhaps mollify key political players.