Ex-finance minister al-Zubeir Ahmed al-Hassan will now lead the energy ministry, the state-owned Sudanese Media Centre news agency said. Both are key ministries in Sudan, which produces more than 500,000 barrels per day of oil in an opaque Chinese-dominated industry.

Justice Minister Mohamed Ali al-Mardi's departure comes after disputes with many media organisations over a series of reporting bans, which many rights lawyers and members of the media said were illegal. Minister for Federal Affairs Abdel Basit Sabderat replaced Mardi.

A Sudanese analyst who declined to be named said the reshuffle was just "pushing papers".

"The key people are still in key positions," he said. But Mardi's removal was a step forward to improve Sudan's image abroad, he added.

Ibrahim Ahmed Omer, a senior figure in President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's National Congress Party who came out of retirement to advise Bashir on media matters, was appointed minister for science and technology.

Former governor of Kassala Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamad became minister of interior, replacing Al-Zubayr Bashir Taha who moved to the agriculture and forestry portfolio.