In a recent statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Sudanese government has declared Volker Perthes, the United Nations envoy, as “persona non grata.”
The government of the Republic of Sudan officially notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations about this decision, effective immediately.
This development comes just weeks after the country’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accused Perthes of exacerbating the ongoing conflict and demanded his removal.
“The Government of the Republic of Sudan has notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations that it has declared Mr. Volker Perthes … persona non grata as of today,” the ministry said
According to updates from the UN mission’s Twitter feed, Perthes was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday, participating in a series of diplomatic talks.
However, since late last year, both Perthes and the UN mission he leads in war-torn Sudan have faced military and Islamist-backed protests criticizing perceived foreign interference.
In a letter addressed to the UN last month, Sudan’s de facto leader, Burhan, held the envoy responsible for fueling the clashes between the army and the paramilitaries. Burhan accused Perthes of disregarding “national sovereignty” and called for his replacement.
Despite these allegations, UN chief Antonio Guterres and members of the UN Security Council have expressed their support for Perthes.
Nevertheless, the Security Council recently voted to extend the mandate of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) for a period of only six months.
Established in June 2020 to assist Sudan’s democratic transition following the fall of Omar al-Bashir a year earlier, UNITAMS had previously received annual renewals for one year.
The situation surrounding Volker Perthes and the UN mission in Sudan reflects the complex challenges faced by the country as it strives for stability and progress in its democratic journey. The Sudanese government’s decision to declare Perthes “persona non grata” adds another layer of tension to an already volatile situation.