CAIRO — Sudan’s army ruler demanded in a letter to the U.N. secretary common that the U.N. envoy to his nation be eliminated, officers stated Saturday. The U.N. chief was “shocked” by the letter, a spokesman stated.
The envoy, Volker Perthes, has been a key mediator in Sudan, first through the nation’s fitful makes an attempt to transition to democracy after which after worsening tensions between army rivals exploded into open combating final month.
The combating pits troops loyal to army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan in opposition to a robust paramilitary group, the Fast Help Forces, headed by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
Burhan’s letter to U.N. Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres was acquired Friday.
“The Secretary-Basic is shocked by the letter he acquired this morning,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated. “The Secretary-Basic is pleased with the work performed by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Particular Consultant.”
Dujarric didn’t reveal the contents of the letter. A senior Sudanese army official stated Burhan’s letter requested Guterres to interchange Perthes who was appointed to the put up in 2021.
In accordance with the official, Burhan accused Perthes of “being partisan,” and that his method in pre-war talks between the generals and the pro-democracy motion helped inflame the battle. The talks had aimed toward restoring the nation’s democratic transition, which was derailed by a army coup in Oct. 2021.
The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not approved to temporary media.
Later Saturday, the U.S. State Division stated it helps Perthes and that he “continues to have our confidence.” An announcement by spokesman Matthew Miller stated that “we specific our concern over the letter from the Sudanese Armed Forces calling for his (Perthes’) resignation.”
Perthes declined to touch upon the letter.
Burhan’s letter got here after the U.N. envoy accused the fighters of disregarding the legal guidelines of struggle by attacking properties, retailers, locations of worship, and water and electrical energy installations.
In his briefing to the U.N. Safety Council earlier this week, Perthes blamed the leaders of the army and the RSF for the struggle, saying they’ve chosen to “settle their unresolved battle on the battlefield slightly than on the desk.”
Burhan accused Perthes final 12 months of “exceeding the U.N. mission’s mandate and of blatant interference in Sudanese affairs.” He threatened to expel him from the nation.
The continued combating broke out in mid-April between the army and the highly effective RSF. Each Burhan and Dagalo led the 2021 coup that eliminated the Western-backed authorities of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
The combating turned the capital of Khartoum and the adjoining metropolis of Omdurman right into a battleground. The clashes additionally unfold elsewhere within the nation, together with the war-wracked Darfur area.
The battle has killed a whole bunch of individuals, wounded 1000’s and pushed the nation to close collapse. It pressured greater than 1.3 million out of their properties to safer areas inside Sudan, or to neighboring nations.
Sexual violence together with rape of girls and ladies, a standard apply in Sudan’s wars and political upheavals, have been reported in Khartoum and Darfur for the reason that combating started.
The Combating Violence In opposition to Girls Unit, a government-run group, stated Friday it acquired studies of not less than 24 instances of sexual assaults in Khartoum, and 25 different instances in Darfur.
The unit, which tracks violence in opposition to girls, stated most survivors reported that the attackers have been in RSF uniform and in areas of Khartoum managed by RSF checkpoints.
The RSF didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The fighters have agreed on a weeklong cease-fire, brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless, the truce, which is scheduled to run out Monday night time, didn’t cease the combating in components of Khartoum and elsewhere within the county.
Residents reported sporadic clashes Saturday in components of Omdurman, the place the military’s plane have been seen flying over the town. Preventing was additionally reported in al-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur.