Sudan

UNITAMS Head Warns Time Is Short For Sudan To Resolve Ongoing Political Crisis

The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) on Tuesday warned the lack of progress on the political track in Sudan will result in a humanitarian disaster in the country, reported The UN News.

 “Time is short for the Sudanese to reach a political solution to forge a way out of this crisis,” Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UNITAMS, told members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

He emphasized that it is up to the Sudanese authorities to create an environment conducive to the success of the trilateral mechanism that involves the United Nations, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to facilitate intra-Sudanese dialogue.

Talking about recent developments, he said the Sudanese authorities have released 86 detainees across the country, including some officials affiliated with the Dismantling Committee as well as activists from the Resistance Committees.

The UNITAMS head said violence by security forces against protestors has also decreased overall, although violations still occur. Currently, at least, 111 protestors are in detention in Khartoum, Port Sudan, and other parts of the country.  On 21 May, the Sudanese security forces killed a protestor that brings the number of those reportedly killed to 96.

He stresses that if the authorities want to build trust, it is essential that those responsible for violence against protesters be held to account. He said it is time for all violence to end.

He reported that the UNITAMS has urged the Sudanese authorities to make clear to the public that they support dialogue as the only way to reach a political solution and to release detainees, cease arbitrary arrests and lift the state of emergency.

Some of the other UN Security Council members also stressed that restoring a civilian-led Government will enable both economic reform and the resumption of international support for Sudan.

Caroline Finnegan

A professionnal journalist for the past ten years, I cover global news and economic affairs for The Chief Observer.

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