Sudan’s Burhan calls for replacement of UNITAMS chief
May 26, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The Head of the Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, has formally requested the United Nations Secretary-General to replace the current envoy in Sudan, Volker Perthes, with a new representative.
The decision to expel Volker Perthes comes in the wake of repeated accusations made by Sudan’s military leaders, the latest of which were statements by Lt Gen Yasir al-Atta, a member of the Sovereign Council.
Al-Atta accused the international diplomat of aligning himself with a specific political faction in Sudan and becoming influenced by their vision.
“His role is very negative because he falls into a circle of influence that made him go in one limited direction that will not lead him to solve the problem, and we will not cross with this idea to safety. So it is better to replace him with another envoy who is neutral and open to all,” al-Atta told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper on May 10.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres dated May 26 and seen by Sudan Tribune, Al-Burhan expressed his dissatisfaction with the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission In Sudan (UNITAMS) performance.
He attributed this to the style and behaviour of the mission’s head.
“Therefore, we ask the General Security to nominate a replacement for Mr Volker Perthes in the interest of the relationship between the United Nations and Sudan, a member of the United Nations and the host country,” read the two-page letter in Arabic.
Al-Burhan did not address the current armed conflict with the RSF. Instead, he concluded his statement by stressing his commitment to completing the democratic transition process and forming a transitional government that “accommodates all spectrums of Sudan and its living forces.”
During a briefing to the Security Council on May 22, Perthes blamed the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the ongoing military conflict in the country, denying accusations levelled by the military against the political forces participating in the political process of inciting the RSF to go to war against the army commanders.
Together with the two envoys from the African Union and the IGAD, the UNITAMS head was facilitating an intra-Sudanese dialogue to restore a civilian transitional government in Sudan.
Perthes, 65, is a German researcher and political thinker. He speaks Arabic fluently and has authored several books on political and human rights issues in the Arab world.
Guterres is shocked
Reacting to the development, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that the UN Secretary-General received the letter from General Al-Burhan about replacing Perthes.
“The Secretary-General is shocked by the letter he received this morning (May 26) from General Al-Burhan,” said Dujarric in a written statement on Friday.
“The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative,” he further emphasized.
(ST)