Al-Burhan threatens to expel the UN envoy to Sudan

The head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, threatened yesterday, Friday, to expel the United Nations Special Representative in Sudan, Volker Peretz, for "interfering" in the country's affairs and not being neutral.

During the graduation ceremony of new batches of the Military College and Karary University, Al-Burhan demanded the UN envoy "to stop persisting in bypassing the mandate of the UN mission and blatant interference in Sudanese affairs, and that this will lead to his expulsion from the country."

He also urged the United Nations and the African Union to "facilitate dialogue between the Sudanese and avoid overstepping their mandate," according to a statement from the army's spokesperson's office.

Peretz had said in a speech before the UN Security Council - last Monday - that Sudan is heading towards "economic and security collapse and great human suffering" unless the transitional period is resumed under the leadership of civilians who were overthrown by Al-Burhan in a military coup last year.

The UN envoy also warned of the high level of crime and chaos, the killing of anti-coup protesters, violence against women "by members of the security forces", and the escalation of targeting activists.

In turn, the editor-in-chief of the Armed Forces newspaper, Ibrahim Al-Houry, accused the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), headed by Volker Peretz, in an article on Thursday that it "did not adhere to the principle of impartiality." and democracy.”

Sudan has been rocked by massive protests demanding a return to civilian rule, and it is facing a violent crackdown by the security forces that has so far killed 93 people, according to an independent doctors' union.

Peretz said that the UN mission had agreed with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to make joint efforts to facilitate talks in Sudan, and the Group of Friends of Sudan - a grouping of the United States, Britain and the European Union - supported recent efforts to facilitate dialogue.