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Authorities in
Sudan have declared Volker Perthes, the head of the United Nations mission in
the country, "persona non grata".
The decision
came after the accusations from the army chief for his alleged involvement in
inflaming the conflict.
The Sudanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision, stating that the government
has notified the UN Secretary-General of Mr Volker Perthes was hereby declared
as “persona non grata”.
Continued
Mission Operations:
While Perthes
has been declared "persona non grata," the UN mission itself will be
allowed to continue its work.
Some staff
members are stationed in Port Sudan, where they were relocated after the
outbreak of fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese
army in mid-April.
UN Rejects the
Declaration:
In response to
Sudan's declaration, the United Nations emphasized that UN personnel cannot be
deemed "persona non grata."
The UN
spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, reiterated that such actions contradict the
obligations of states under the UN Charter.
Dujarric also
confirmed that Perthes is presently in Addis Ababa.
Support from
the UN Chief:
Previously,
Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had written a letter blaming Perthes
for exacerbating the conflict between the army and the RSF.
However, UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock at the accusations and
expressed his full confidence in Perthes, commending his work as the special
representative.
Perthes' Role
and Defense:
Volker Perthes,
a former academic, has been leading the UN mission in Sudan since 2021.
He has been
involved in the country's transition to democracy and the deteriorating
relations between the military and the RSF.
Perthes has
consistently defended the UN against allegations of inciting the conflict,
attributing responsibility to the warring generals.
Accusations and
Counter-Accusations:
In his letter
to Guterres, al-Burhan accused Perthes of bias and disrespecting Sudan's
national sovereignty.
He alleged that
Perthes misrepresented the existence of consensus in his reports to the UN.
He also claimed
that without the encouragement of Perthes, Hemedti (Mohamed Hamdan
"Hemedti" Dagalo) would not have initiated military operations.
Both sides
involved in the conflict have blamed each other for provoking the violence.
Impact of the Sudan's Conflict:
The ongoing
fighting has had devastating consequences for Khartoum and the western region
of Darfur.
Lack of access
to basic services, such as water and electricity, has affected entire districts
of Khartoum.
Additionally,
numerous hospitals in combat zones are not functional.
The conflict
has led to the displacement of over 1.4 million people within Sudan, with an
additional 476,800 seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
UN Mission, Humanitarian
Crisis and Aid Efforts:
The
International Organization for Migration estimates that more than half of
Sudan's population, approximately 25 million people, are in need of
humanitarian assistance.
The UN has
delivered aid to approximately 2.2 million people since late May.
However, the
precarious situation of the UN's presence in Sudan was evident when the
Security Council voted to extend the mission's mandate for only six months.
The UN mission
was established in June 2020 to support Sudan's democratic transition following
the ousting of former ruler Omar al-Bashir a year earlier.
Previously, the
mission's mandate was renewed annually for a year, but the recent vote extended
it for only six months.
(Courtesy:
Al-Jazeera)
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