Sudan: Political transition's Greatest Crisis to-date - Security Council briefing

The United Nations of Earth reporting on this issue: "Sudan: Political transition's Greatest Crisis to-date - Security Council briefing"
The topics: Briefing by Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, on the situation in Sudan. The Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes today (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.” Perthes, who is also the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, said, “I have cautiously welcomed the 21 November political agreement between Prime Minister Hamdok and Lieutenant General Burhan – which was reached after weeks of domestic and international efforts to find a way out of the crisis.” He noted that the Agreement “is far from perfect but it can help to avoid further bloodshed and provide a step towards comprehensive dialogue and a return to constitutional order.” 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.” Earlier today, the Chair of the Security Council’s sanctions committee on Sudan, Estonian ambassador Sven Jürgenson told the Council that while signatory movements took part in power-sharing in Darfur and Khartoum, “implementation of the other provisions of the Juba Peace Agreement have been delayed.” Jürgenson pointed out that the non-signatory movements, Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW), “have not heeded the calls to join the Juba Peace Agreement.” Sudanese Ambassador Mohammed Ibrahim Elbahi for his part told the Council that “sixteen years following the imposition of these sanctions, they continue to cause confusion and significant damage to the Sudan and therefore they should be lifted immediately.” 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 Sudanese military took over the government on 25 October and arrested Prime Minister Hamdok, and other senior officials, as well as political activists, triggering widespread protests. At least 44 people were killed, and hundreds have been injured as a result of excessive use of force by security forces.


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