The Government of Sudan has declared UN’s Special Representative to the country, Volker Perthes, an unwelcome person.
In a statement on Thursday, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The Government of the Republic of Sudan has notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations of declaring Mr. Volker Perthes, Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the UNITAMS Mission, persona non grata, as of today's date.”
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the de facto leader of Sudan, had written to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, in May asking him to nominate another person to replace Perthes.
Al-Burhan complained about Perthes’ conduct, alleging that he had submitted to the global body “misinforming” reports.
'Misinforming reports'
The alleged “misinforming” reports, Al-Burhan claimed, stemmed from the December 5, 2022 deal that the army generals and the pro-democracy groups signed to establish a new, civilian-led transitional government.
The leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces further said that Perthes’ stay in Sudan was no longer tenable, accusing him of “distorting facts” of the December framework political agreement.
Guterres was, however, “shocked” by Al-Burhan’s letter that called for the replacement of Perthes, whose work he was “proud of”, according to the Secretary-General’s spokesperson.
'Senseless' violence
In May, Perthes called the violence in Sudan “senseless”, blaming it primarily on the warring generals – Al-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“Some commenters have placed the blame for this conflict on the international community for not having seen warning signs. Others blame the political process, or the Framework Agreement, which intended to lead to a civilian-led government. Or blame the international community for giving an outsized role in the process to the men with guns,” Perthes said during the United Nations Security Council meeting on May 22, 2023.
He added: “But let us be clear: the responsibility for the fighting rests with those who are waging it daily: the leadership of the two sides who have chosen to settle their unresolved conflict on the battlefield rather than at the table. It is their decision that is ravaging Sudan. And they can end it.”
