Why escalate calls for the expulsion of the UN envoy in Sudan? And what did Volcker respond?

KHARTOUM -

For the second time, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) finds itself under siege by hundreds of angry voices calling for it to end its mandate and leave the country, hours before a Security Council meeting to decide to extend the mandate of the mission, which is dedicated to supporting the transition and helping the country out of stifling political, economic and security crises.

Islamic currents and fronts against foreign interference have publicly rejected the UN mission that was established in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2524, pursuant to Chapter VI, after a request from the resigned Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, and entrusted it with 4 tasks: assisting the political transition towards democratic rule, supporting and implementing peace processes, and building Peace and protection of civilians in war-affected areas, in addition to supporting efforts to mobilize international development and humanitarian support for Sudan.

On January 7, 2021, German Volker Peretz was appointed as Special Representative for Sudan and Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission to Support the Transitional Phase in Sudan (UNITAMS). His biography says that he has more than 25 years of experience in academia, research and international relations. and diplomacy, including the United Nations, in addition to his expertise in conflict resolution and regional geopolitics.

Between 2015 and 2018, he served as Assistant Secretary-General, then First Adviser to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, as well as Chair of the Ceasefire Task Force of the International Syria Support Group on behalf of the United Nations.

He holds a master's degree and a doctorate in political science from the University of Duisburg in Germany, and speaks both English and Arabic.

According to the opinion of those opposed to Volcker's presence in Sudan, his experience in Syria and the accompanying failure will prevent his continuation in Sudan, which is confirmed by Othman Kabbashi, a member of the "Sudanese for National Sovereignty" initiative, as he says - in an interview with Al Jazeera Net - that Volcker is working to open the doors of The civil war in Sudan is similar to its experience in Syria, which resulted in thousands of victims and massive destruction, and it is currently working in Sudan according to the same approach;

Therefore, everyone keen on national sovereignty and reluctance to slide the country towards civil war wants to leave Volcker and his mission, says Kabbashi.

A member of the initiative that was mobilized to expel Volcker is convinced that the UN envoy has deviated from his basic mandate to another agenda. He is - according to Kabashi - not preoccupied with providing economic aid to Sudan, but rather promotes blackmailing the government in the manner of carrots and sticks, in addition to not paying attention to the requirements of implementing the peace agreement, as well as Neglecting to prepare for the elections and to provide technical support and assistance in the census.

"Volker aborted the dreams of the Sudanese in holding elections and a democratic transition, and went into creating tension and fragmentation, and inciting the Sudanese against each other," Kabbashi added.

But the UN envoy, Volker Peretz, shows his indifference to this high wave of suspicion, telling - to Al-Jazeera Net - that many accusations are chasing him with inclination to one side rather than the other, and added, "Some of them said that we are closer to freedom and change during the period of Abdullah Hamdok's rule, and some said that we are closer to the military, because we We used to meet with them, while others say that we are forcing them to dialogue… These are all opinions that we respect.”

Volcker stresses that the right to demonstrate and protest is guaranteed, and even says that he was ready to receive a note from the crowd that gathered in front of the mission headquarters.

According to the opponents of Volcker's presence in Khartoum, his experience in Syria and the accompanying failure will prevent his continuation in Sudan (Al-Jazeera)

accusations of impartiality

The head of the Future Builders Party, Fateh al-Rahman Fadil, supports calls to end the mandate of the United Nations mission and expel Volker Peretz for reasons related to the latter’s personality and his experiences in other countries, and stresses that Sudan does not need a UN mission, and his people can reach solutions as happened after the 1964 and 1985 revolutions without the need for international intervention circumvents the national will, according to Fadhil.

Advocates of ending the mission's mandate believe that the dialogue that Volcker adopts to resolve the political crisis between the Sudanese parties will not reach any result. The UN envoy - from Osman Kabbashi's point of view - violated the principle of supposed neutrality in his work as a UN official, by inclining to specific political forces that have no basis It is popular and does not believe in democracy, and it is more defined as left-wing and liberal parties that dominated the first transitional period without having any electoral seat in all previous democratic parliaments, so they are keen to prolong the transitional period and receive support from Volcker and his mission staff.

And he continues, "There is no room for the success of Volcker's dialogue, because it excludes broad spectrum of the people, as well as his remarkable interest in empowering minorities and returning them to power, and it will not achieve a consensus in the end, but rather proceeds towards fragmentation."

Sudanese decision

But UN envoy Volker Peretz says - in his statement to Al Jazeera Net - that the tripartite mechanism that calls on the Sudanese for dialogue is not biased to any party, and continues, "I do not care - I Volker and the United Nations - who will be the prime minister in the future, and I do not care if the parties are represented in the new government. Or not, this is the decision of the Sudanese, and if they agree on a government of technocrats, the United Nations will welcome that, and if they agree on a national government from all parties, the United Nations will welcome that as well.”

On the other hand, he asserts that they are not neutral towards issues of human rights, peace and a peaceful transition towards civil rule and democracy.

However, Fath al-Rahman Fadhil expresses his conviction that Volcker's initiative will not succeed, due to his apparent impartiality and prejudice towards important forces. He points out that the mission neglected the National Declaration's call for dialogue, even though it is an alliance of about 50 organizations, stressing that it has no relationship with the isolated regime.

He also talks about that the solution to the Sudanese crisis will not be written by the UN envoy, but by other parties, including the state of South Sudan.

Volcker says - in previous statements - that his consultations to bridge the gap between the Sudanese parties will not include the National Congress - the ruling party during the era of ousted President Omar al-Bashir - but he sat with forces and parties that were allies of Bashir and shared power with him until the moment of his fall, including the Democratic Unionist and the People's Congress.

It seems that the extension of the mandate of the UN mission, expected to be announced in New York today, Friday, will make Volcker and his companions face a fierce campaign of rejection and hostility in a way that may make his tasks difficult, especially with threats to classify the mission as a colonial front that must be resisted.

In this direction, Othman Kabbashi says, "If the mission is extended, we will not stop opposing it.. The Sudanese experiences in resisting colonialism are known.. the people will resist it and the rejection will escalate, until it leaves."