KHARTOUM – The African Union Representative in Sudan Mohamed Belisha Wednesday said the regional body would support Sudan’s request for a special political mission without any military component.
Belisha met on Wednesday with Kabbashi Shams al-Din, a member of the Sovereign Council and Omer Gamar Eldin State Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss Sudan’s position on the upcoming UN political mission which will be set up on the basis of Chapter VI of the UN Charter.
Speaking to the media after the meeting Gamar Eldin stated that the African Union official asked about Sudan’s position on the upcoming mission which will replace the UNAMID.
“Lieutenant-General Kabbashi replied that the second letter sent by the Prime Minister was an explanatory letter to Sudan’s request to get a United Nations mission set up on the basis of Chapter VI of the UN Charter,” he said.
Recently, it was purported that the military component at the Sovereign Council had shown reservations over the new mission fearing it would prolongate the presence of UN troops in Sudan.
The Sudanese official added that African official reiterated the African Union readiness to support Sudan’s position on the next mission and to report it to the United Nations.
Belisha said that “the African Union would support Sudan’s request that the next mission is established on the basis of Chapter VI so that it does not encompass military personnel, whether blue helmets or UN police units. they will not be part of the mission,” said the Sudanese state minister.
“The mission is only an international political mission to support the (democratic) transition and the transitional period in Sudan,” emphasized Gamar Eldin.
During a recent meeting on 24 April, several Western diplomats pointed to the continued insecurity in Darfur and the need to protect civilians and proposed to include a police force in the new mission.
Even more, the South African ambassador to the UN intervened on behalf of the three African Union non-permanent members and questioned the withdrawal of the hybrid peacekeeping mission from Darfur.
At the same time in Khartoum, Hamdok is criticized for requesting a new UN mission as the Sudanese Islamists and counter-revolutionary groups took the opportunity to launch a new campaign against the transitional government.
In a letter to the UN Secretary-General on 27 January 2020, Hamdok, called for the establishment of a Chapter VI peace support operation in the form of a special political mission.
The mission should support the implementation of the transitional constitution, ongoing peace talks and the implementation of the peace agreements including security arrangements, mobilization of international economic assistance.
Hamdok further requested to support peace-building, humanitarian assistance, development in Darfur, in the Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan. In addition to supporting the return of displaced people and refugees to their areas of origin, reconciliation, transitional justice, protection of civilians and police capacity-building.
