KHARTOUM: Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has called for the dismissal of UN special envoy Volker Perthes, accusing him of exacerbating the ongoing conflict with paramilitaries. This move by al-Burhan is seen as an effort to bolster his own war campaign.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres expressed shock at the letter from al-Burhan, which requested the nomination of a replacement for Perthes and accused him of engaging in fraudulent activities and spreading disinformation that led to a breakdown of the political process and subsequent urban warfare.
Al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were scheduled to engage in negotiations facilitated by the UN on April 15 to address a political crisis that has plagued Sudan since 2021 when al-Burhan and Daglo seized power in a coup.
However, their meeting turned Khartoum into a war zone. Efforts by the international community to broker a deal for the integration of the RSF into the regular army and restore civilian rule have been hindered by the intransigence of the two generals.
Sudanese Protest Against UN Mission
Protests against Perthes and the UN mission in Sudan have taken place since late last year, with accusations of foreign intervention. These demonstrations have intensified since the start of the war, with similar protests occurring in the city of Port Sudan.
Perthes, who expressed optimism and was taken by surprise by the war, has been the target of criticism. Around 1,800 people have lost their lives, and over 1.3 million have been displaced as a result of the conflict.
In his letter, al-Burhan accused Perthes of presenting a misleading picture of consensus in his reports to the UN and suggested that Daglo launched military operations due to encouragement received. However, it remains unclear who fired the first shots in the war.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric issued a statement on behalf of Guterres expressing shock at the letter and reiterating full confidence in Perthes.
Currently, rival forces are observing a one-week ceasefire brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia, but isolated gunfire has been reported in Khartoum. Recently, al-Burhan officially removed Daglo from his position as deputy in the ruling Sovereign Council and replaced him with former rebel leader Malik Agar. Agar has engaged in discussions with Perthes to find ways to resolve the crisis and end the war.
In addition to these developments, the Sudanese army is seeking to reinforce its ranks by calling on army pensioners and those capable of bearing arms to arm themselves and protect their families and neighbors.
This decision has been deemed dangerous by the RSF. The conflict in Sudan has resulted in significant loss of life and the displacement of over a million people within Sudan, raising concerns for regional stability.
