UNITAMS urges to take legal action against calls to kill Perthes
April 11, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – UNITAMS has voiced grave concern about a call by an Islamist for a religious fatwa authorizing him to kill its chief, Volker Perthes, and called for legal action against him.
An individual named Abdel Moneim Dafa Allah called for a fatwa, a formal legal ruling given by a qualified Islamic scholar authorizing him to kill Perthes. He made his demand during a political meeting by the People of Sudan Call for National Accord, a coalition encompassing some Islamist groups.
His request comes after verbal attacks against the UN official by non-signatory political groups who used to accuse him of backing the return of pro-democracy forces to power and coordinating international pressure on the military coup leaders.
In a statement on Tuesday, UNITAMS spokesperson May Yaacoub said they are “deeply concerned” by the public demand for a fatwa allowing the killing of the German diplomat.
“Using language that incites violence will exacerbate divisions within the country. However, UNITAMS will not be deterred from carrying out its duties,” Yaacoub said.
“Although we appreciate those who have condemned the video and its contents, we urge the Sudanese authorities to take legal action and conduct a proper investigation,” she further stressed.
There were media reports about Dafa Allah’s arrest by the security services, but the military government did not issue a statement confirming these reports.
The individual professed his readiness to kill the international envoy after accusing him of combating Islam in Sudan.
On Tuesday, more political groups condemned the threats to kill the UNITAMS head. Buthaina Ibrahim Dinar, deputy leader of the SPLM-Democratic Revolutionary Movement, said that the hate speech targets the forces of the revolution.
“We call on all national and democratic forces to condemn the discourse of terrorism and hate speech (…) which primarily targets the forces of change and revolution.”
Dinar further called for a national campaign to combat the supporters of the former regime.
Also, the Democratic Unionist Party of Gaffar al-Mirghani condemned the threats against Perthes, saying that it is “incompatible with the values of the Sudanese people and contradicts the values of Sufism and its tolerant spirit of respect for the other and concern for his security and safety.”
Furthermore, in a statement commemorating the 4th anniversary of the fall of the al-Bashir regime, the FFC regretted the silence of the military authorities towards the growing activities of the supporters of the former regime.
(ST)