Sudan declares controversial UN envoy ‘persona non grata’

KHARTOUM, JUNE 9, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The Sudanese government on Thursday said it has notified the United Nations that it has declared controversial special representative of the secretary-general to Sudan and head of UNITAMS, Volker Perthes, persona non grata.

“The Government of the Republic of Sudan has notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations that it has declared Mr. Volker Perthes … persona non grata as of today,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on Twitter on Thursday.

This comes less than two weeks after the country’s military ruler General Abdelfattah al-Burhan, said in a letter to the secretary-general that Volker is to blame for the violence that has engulfed the country since April 15.

Perthes’ departure from Sudan last month followed a series of protest from Sudanese in Port Sudan who have blamed him for foreign interference in the Sudanese affairs.

The Sudanese army and pro-Islamists politicians have also disapproved of him.

The UNITAMS’ was created in June 2020 to support Sudan’s democratic transition after the fall of Islamist-military ruler Omar al-Bashir was expelled in  mass protests in April the previous year.

The UN extended its mandate last month for only six months.