Sudan's Al-Burhan urges UN mission's neutrality on national political crisis

KHARTOUM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Sunday called on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) to keep the same distance from all parties amid the ongoing political crisis in the country.

His remarks came during a meeting with the head of UNITAMS Volker Perthes in the capital Khartoum, where Al-Burhan questioned the scope of a recent UNITAMS briefing on Sudan to the UN Security Council (UNSC), according to a statement by the sovereign council.

"The briefing did not cover all situations in the country and not include the positive indicators that occurred on the ground," Al-Burhan was quoted as saying.

Perthes, for his part, said his briefing was based on the information and reports prepared by his office in Khartoum, according to the statement.

The UN envoy, however, voiced readiness to review any inaccurate information contained in the report submitted to the UNSC.

The meeting came a day after Al-Burhan warned that if the UN mission goes beyond its mandate or interferes in Sudan's internal affairs, Perthes could be expelled.

In last week's briefing to the UNSC, Perthes cautioned that the deteriorating economic, humanitarian and security situations in Sudan were due to the absence of "a functioning government" since October 2021 and the "violent repression" against the protesters demanding civilian rule.

On Jan. 10, the UNITAMS launched an intra-Sudanese political process to end the country's political crisis. Perthes has since been in consultations with Sudanese political parties and civil forces in the country.

Recently, the African Union joined the UN efforts seeking to reach a political settlement in Sudan.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after Al-Burhan, general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.

Since then, Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule.