In a recent development, Sudan has formally requested the immediate withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, known as the Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). The demand was communicated in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres by the Sudanese military government. The letter, obtained by DPA on Friday, emphasized the discontinuation of UNITAMS without delay.
The government, despite the call for withdrawal, expressed its commitment to engaging constructively with the United Nations. The demand comes in the midst of an armed conflict that erupted in mid-April, involving clashes between the army, led by de facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary led by Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.
Both generals had seized power jointly in a coup in 2021 but later fell out over the distribution of control. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, addressed the Security Council on Thursday, highlighting the absence of de-escalation signs in the conflict.
Pobee stated, ‘Sudan is facing a convergence of a worsening humanitarian calamity and a catastrophic human rights crisis,’ revealing that over 2,000 civilians have lost their lives since the conflict’s eruption in April. She urged the conflicting parties to recognize the futility of ongoing fighting and prioritize dialogue and de-escalation.
The UN mission in Sudan, established in 2020, has been actively involved in peacekeeping efforts. Notably, UN Special Envoy for Sudan Volker Perthes resigned in September, following his declaration as persona non grata by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry in June, effectively preventing his continued presence in the country.”
