Gen El Burhan meets UNITAMS head to discuss crisis in Sudan

The head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council and leader of Sudan’s military, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, held a crisis meeting with the head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes in Khartoum on Wednesday.

According to the media office of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), which seized power in a coup on Monday, Gen El Burhan called the meeting with UN Special Representative Volker Perthes “to discuss developments in the current political situation, and ways to get out of the crisis in order to achieve stability and peace in the country”.

According the SAF media office, Perthes called for opening a dialogue with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and other stakeholders. He also stated the readiness of the United Nations to provide the necessary support in this regard.

“We presented some suggestions to return to a comprehensive and urgent dialogue to restore partnership on the basis of the Constitutional Document and the Juba Peace Agreement, and we expressed our interest in finding a safe exit from the current crisis,” Perthes said after the meeting.

This echoes his initial response on his own Twitter feed following the coup on Monday: “I urge all parties to exercise utmost restraint. All parties must immediately return to dialogue and engage in good faith to restore the constitutional order…”

The head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, has declared a State of Emergency in the country after the military seized power in a dawn coup in Khartoum on Monday. Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, as well as several civilian members of the Sovereignty Council have been placed under arrest and all organs of civilian government have been suspended.