Sudan raises “red card” against the United Nations Mission
Sudan has taken a new step that could deepen the crisis it has been experiencing since last April. The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ali Al-Sadiq, informed the United Nations Security Council, in a letter seen by Reuters, that Sudan requests the “immediate termination” of its political mission in the country, named the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).
In a letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and distributed to the International Security Council, Al-Sadiq stated that “the Sudanese government has requested the United Nations to terminate the mission of UNITAMS immediately, and at the same time, we would like to confirm to you that the Sudanese government is committed to dealing constructively with the Security Council and the Secretariat.”
He considered that “the purpose of establishing the mission was to assist the transitional government in Sudan after the December 2018 revolution,” adding that the mission’s performance in achieving its goals has been disappointing.
A spokesperson for Guterres did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On June 3, 2020, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2524 (2020), which established the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). It is a political mission specializing in providing support to Sudan during its political transition to democratic governance.
Since April 15, ongoing clashes between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sovereignty Council, and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti” have resulted in more than 10,000 deaths, according to the “ACLED” organization, which counts conflict casualties. Additionally, over 6 million Sudanese have been displaced and become refugees, according to the United Nations.
The continuous clashes have also disrupted essential services in Sudan and led to the destruction of entire neighborhoods in the capital, Khartoum, and the Darfur region in the west of the country.
