World must support Sudanese democratic experience: UN’s Guterres
September 27, 2019 (NEW YORK) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his support to the Sudanese people and called on the international to do everything possible to back the efforts of the transitional government to achieve democratic reforms in Sudan.
Guterres was speaking at the Sudan event, held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, on Friday morning.
After speaking about his personal admiration for the Sudanese people as a result of his different past trips to their country when he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN chief underlined that the success of the democratic transition is essential for Sudanese but is extremely important for the whole region.
He warned that if the Sudanese fail to achieve the current democratic transition their despair will have a worse fallout than the hardships endured in the past.
“So the international community has a strict obligation to do everything possible to help facilitate the conditions of success at the present Sudanese democratic experience,” he said pointing to the enormous challenges that Sudan is facing.
“Now, we need from the international community a number of things. And they should include removing immediately Sudan’s designation as a terrorist-supporting state and lifting all economic sanctions and mobilizing massive financial support for development to make the current political gains durable,” he emphasized.
The Sudanese government said they are determined to sign a peace agreement with the armed groups across the country during the first six months and set up an emergency economic plan that needs $8 billion in foreign aid to implemented besides additional $2 billion of foreign reserves deposits needed to halt a fall in the currency.
UN secretary-general said they are entering a new phase of partnership with Sudan following decades of humanitarian aid, and peacekeeping.
“As a first step, the United Nations convened a meeting in Khartoum earlier this month to develop initial priorities for our support to the transition,” he said adding they look forward to continuing these discussions with the Sudanese government in the coming weeks.
He said that the economic recovery will take time and the international community must continue to supply Sudan’s humanitarian needs.
(ST)