UN chief Guterres 'shocked' by Sudan military ruler's letter demanding removal of envoy

A letter penned by Sudan's military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan demanding the removal of a United Nations envoy from the African country on Friday left UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres completely “shocked". According to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Burhan had urged Guterres to remove Volker Perthes, the UN special representative to Sudan, from the post.

“The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by (UN special representative to Sudan) Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative,” Dujarric said in a statement, according to CNN. Perthes took over the role in 2021. Since then, he has frequently called for an end to the intense clashes between Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces and the country’s Rapid Support Forces.

Addressing the UN Security Council earlier this week, the envoy condemned the two warring sides and warned of “a growing ethnicisation of the conflict”. “Neither side has yet shown the ability to decisively claim a military victory,” Perthes said. He also underscored that the responsibility of the conflict lies with "those who are waging it daily: the leadership of the two sides who share accountability for choosing to settle their unresolved conflict on the battlefield rather than at the table”.

No end to fighting in Sudan despite ceasefire

The two sides have agreed to an ongoing seven-day ceasefire. However, the temporary truce has failed to bring an end to the fighting, with rampant airstrikes and drone attacks being observed in the country. According to the US embassy in Khartoum, clashes were widely evident in the Khartoum Industrial Area and Zalingei. 

World leaders and diplomats have constantly called for an end to the conflict, including Guterres, who said that "the cessation of hostilities must be followed by serious dialogue allowing for the successful transition, starting with the appointment of a civilian government".