Sudan terminates UN political mission in country
November 16, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has formally informed the United Nations Security Council of its request to promptly terminate the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), citing a lack of progress and a need for a new form of cooperation with the international body.
Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations Al-Harith Idriss informed the Security Council on Thursday that the UNITAMS mission is not performing to expectations, despite the government’s repeated calls for a review of its mandate and future tasks.
In his statement, Idriss further pointed out that the current conditions in Sudan have fundamentally changed the circumstances that led to the request to establish the mission.
“Therefore, I would like to inform your esteemed council of the Government of Sudan’s decision to terminate the UNTAMS mission immediately,” he said. He further disclosed that the reasons for this decision are outlined in a letter from the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Secretary-General, sent to him on Thursday.
A few hours before his intervention, Reuters reported that Foreign Minister Ali Sadiq had sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asking to terminate UNITAMS activities.
The military-led Sudanese government has criticized UNITAMS’ performance on several occasions, citing its inability to bring international support to the transitional process in the country. The government was also particularly bothered by the support of UNITAMS’ former chief, Volker Perthes, who was actively involved in a political process aimed at restoring a civilian-led democratic transition in the country.
Perthes was forced to resign from his position last September after being declared persona non grata on June 8, 2023, two months following the outbreak of war between the army and paramilitary forces in April 2023.
UNITAMS, established on June 3, 2020, by Security Council Resolution 2524, was tasked with facilitating Sudan’s transition to a civilian-led democracy in the aftermath of Omar al-Bashir’s 2019 ouster.
Al-Harith reassured the Council that the Government of Sudan will continue to engage constructively with the United Nations over a new appropriate mechanism that meets the country’s needs.
“A high-ranking Sudanese delegation will meet the Secretary-General and some relevant members of your esteemed Council next week to crystallize this idea and discuss its details against the backdrop of the meeting of the Chairman of the Sovereign Council with the UN Secretary-General last September,” he disclosed.
“We remind here the fundamental principle in the success of the United Nations mechanisms, which is the consent of the host country,” he concluded, stressing the need to respect Sudan’s sovereignty and refrain from interfering in its internal political disputes.
The Sudanese ambassador said that his government is actively collaborating with the United Nations on humanitarian aid, particularly in support of vulnerable groups like women.
Sudan has pledged to expedite customs clearance procedures within a week and will issue multiple-entry visas to humanitarian organization representatives. Additionally, efforts are underway to streamline the entry of humanitarian aid trucks and guarantee their safety, he said.
(ST)