Awadalla, appointed prime minister to form a…
July 1969 CE
He presides over a twenty-one-member cabinet that includes only three officers from the RCC, among them its chairman, Nimeiry, who is also defense minister.
The cabinet's other military members hold the portfolios for internal security and communications.
Nine members of the Awadalla regime are allegedly communists, including one of the two southerners in the cabinet, John Garang, minister of supply and later minister for southern affairs.
Others identify themselves as Marxists.
Since the RCC lacks political and administrative experience, the communists play a significant role in shaping government policies and programs.
Despite the influence of individual SCP members, the RCC claims that its cooperation with the party is a matter of convenience.