The UN envoy: The inevitability of dialogue is understood by Al-Burhan and “Hemedti”

The United Nations Special Envoy to Sudan, representative of the Secretary-General of the International Organization, Volker Perthes, said that the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the “rapid support” forces led by Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed “Hamidti”, realized that there was “no escape” from Sit at the negotiating table to end the war and “open a new comprehensive political dialogue.”

Perthes assured UN Radio after his recent briefing to the members of the Security Council that, despite the difficult situation following the violent fighting in Sudan, the United Nations is determined to help the Sudanese overcome this difficult ordeal, achieve peace and restore the path of the transitional process, explaining that the United Nations is “making every effort What it can do on the political and humanitarian levels to overcome the terrible effects left by the war, and to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to millions of Sudanese inside and outside Sudan.

And when he presented the reasons for the war after the parties were “very close” to signing an agreement that is supposed to bring Sudan back to continuing the transitional phase that stopped after the army seized power on October 25, 2021, he made it clear that the tensions that preceded the start of the fighting on April 15 ( Last April, “it was originally about the issue of merging the (rapid support) forces into the national army,” stressing that “the common goal of almost all Sudanese,” including “those who signed the framework agreement and larger circles of society who demand a unified army with one faith.” And one drive. However, “this matter created fears among some circles of losing part of the power in the country.”

And Perthes stated that the framework agreement “will remain a reference for discussion,” adding that “when this war stops and new political discussions begin, all of this requires a review of what was accomplished” before April 15th. He explained that «many social and political leaders will have a role, but what is important is the participation of circles that did not participate in the political process before the war.

He stressed that “our policy as facilitators or mediators (is) to mediate between the parties, as the Saudis and Americans do in Jeddah.” He said, “The importance of the Jeddah agreement for the short-term ceasefire lies in the fact that it is the first ceasefire agreement signed by the two parties,” noting that it comes with “an understanding on a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire, and this is an important step forward.” Because this “will make it easier not only to monitor the commitment of the parties to the agreement, but also to name the party that does not comply.”

He pointed out that the United Nations Mission to Assist the Transitional Process in Sudan, UNITAMS, is not a party to the Jeddah talks, which were entered by the Office of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, which “will be present even in the monitoring mechanism, and will build humanitarian aid to Sudan on the basis of this agreement.”

He mentioned that before the war, the specialized agencies of the United Nations estimated that 15 million people in Sudan needed humanitarian assistance, but now we are talking about 18 million or 19 million people in need.

He touched on the looting that affected most of the United Nations warehouses in Darfur during the first days of the war, as cars, offices, and a convoy carrying relief materials on their way to Darfur were also looted, revealing that the United Nations “is currently studying, in cooperation with the Sudanese authorities, the possibility of delivering supplies to Darfur.” from neighboring Chad. He said, “About 3 weeks ago, aid began arriving in Port Sudan by sea or by air. Aid has already begun to be distributed to the regions in the east and in Khartoum.”

In response to a question about whether the parties were ready to stop the war, Perthes replied that the situation had “relatively calmed down” in Khartoum, following the implementation of the Jeddah agreement for a 7-day ceasefire. He added, “The two sides believed that this battle would be short, and that they would win within a few days, but I believe that they have an awareness that the continuation of this fighting will not lead to the desired result, and that there is no escape from sitting at the negotiating table to end this war and find realistic solutions to matters.” ”, with the aim of “rebuilding the state, and before that forming a government that can lead the state in this difficult stage, including opening a new comprehensive political dialogue.”

And while he expressed his belief that “the goal of all Sudanese is to end this war and restore calm and stability,” he also made it clear that the UN mission intends to return to Khartoum “as soon as possible,” adding that the move to Port Sudan was caused by fighting and looting.

The UN envoy presented four priorities at the current stage; The first is “a cease-fire and a cessation of hostilities for a longer period,” then “the provision of humanitarian aid to all Sudanese in need,” and third, “refraining from a new escalation that includes the forces that have remained outside the war so far,” and fourth, “assistance and facilitation of a new political dialogue process if we are asked to do so.” . He emphasized that «with the help of the Americans and the Saudis, it seems that we have reached an achievement regarding the first priority of the cease-fire. Now, we must work to extend this truce so that it becomes a permanent truce longer than seven days.

And he believed that “this will facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and will also facilitate dialogue on a permanent and stable end to this war and the outstanding political issues.” He stated that “UNITAMS” was established with a request to assist in the political transition, adding that “if we see after three or six months that there is no transition,” then it should be considered whether Sudan “will need a different form of assistance from the international community, and whether it will need To an international mission with different functions.