Security Council briefing by Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan.
The Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes Friday (10 Dec) told the Security Council that “in the last six weeks, Sudan’s political transition has been undergoing its greatest crisis to date” and “this crisis is not over yet, but discussions on a way forward have begun.”
After closed-door Council consultations Perthes spoke with journalists and said, “a substantial part of the political forces in the country do reject this agreement between the Prime Minister and Head of the Sovereignty Council, General Burhan for different reasons, mainly because they fear that it would enshrine the control of the military over the civilian government.”
“The agreement faces significant opposition from a large segment of Sudanese stakeholders, including parties and associations within the Forces of Freedom and Change, Resistance Committees, civil society organizations and women’s groups,” said Volker Perthes.
“The agreement is far from perfect but can help to avoid further bloodshed and provide a step towards comprehensive dialogue and a return to constitutional order,” Perthes told the U.N. Security Council Friday.
The UN official highlighted the importance of a “restoration of political space,” which he said, “is particularly important in light of the professed goal by political and military leaders to hold free and fair elections possibly even earlier than originally planned.”
The Sudanese military took over the government on 25 October. Triggering widespread protests. At least 44 people were killed, and hundreds have been injured as a result of excessive use of force by coup forces.
