Tensions Escalate Amid Ongoing Conflict in Sudan
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was reportedly “shocked” upon receiving a letter from Sudan’s army chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, demanding the removal of the UN envoy to Sudan. This information was shared by Sudanese and UN officials on Saturday.
The letter was received by Guterres on Friday and has raised concerns about the ongoing turmoil in Sudan, where fighting between the military and a paramilitary force has persisted since mid-April. The UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stated, “The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative.”
The call for the envoy’s removal comes despite a weeklong cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, which was set to expire on Monday. However, clashes continued in various parts of Khartoum and beyond.
While Dujarric did not disclose the letter’s specifics, a senior military official indicated that Burhan accused Perthes of “being partisan,” suggesting that his involvement in pre-war negotiations exacerbated tensions. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Perthes, who has held the position since 2021, declined to comment on the letter. In the past, Burhan had also accused him of overstepping the UN mission’s mandate and interfering in Sudanese affairs, previously threatening to expel him.
The conflict in Sudan erupted in April between the military led by Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The fighting has primarily taken place in Khartoum and Omdurman, but has also spread to other regions, including Darfur. It has resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, displacing over 1.3 million people both internally and to neighboring countries.
Burhan’s demand for the envoy’s removal followed Perthes’ accusations against the warring factions for violating the laws of war, including attacks on civilian infrastructure. In a recent briefing to the UN Security Council, Perthes attributed the conflict to the leaders of both the military and the RSF, asserting that they opted to resolve their disputes through violence rather than negotiation.
This conflict continues to undermine international efforts aimed at restoring Sudan’s transition to democracy, following the military’s ousting of the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in October 2021.
