UNITAMS head calls to deescalate violence in Darfur and across Sudan

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (STSG) for Sudan, and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, has appealed to all parties to put an end to the current wave of violence that is destabilising the country, and that “those responsible must be held accountable”.

In a statement issued by his office on Saturday, Perthes cites reports received by the UN over the past week of violent incidents in and around Jebel Moon in West Darfur. “This has included the burning of villages and the unfortunate death of tens of Sudanese, representing another alarming sign of the increasing instability in Sudan.”

The statement says that SRSG is deeply concerned about the situation and calls on Sudanese authorities to work actively to restore stability in the region and urges all parties to act with restraint in order to prevent further violence.

“These events in Darfur are taking place while violence in Khartoum continues, including the deaths of two protestors during last Thursday’s demonstration, and ongoing excessive force against protestors,” Perthes laments. He calls on all parties in Sudan to work towards the implementation of the National Plan on Civilian Protection which the UN supports, and “to seek a common path towards the respect for human rights, long-lasting peace, democracy, and stability in Sudan”.

The SRSG concludes his statement by offering condolences to the families of the victims.

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, in a separate statement on Thursday, UNITAMS and the African Union announced that they will collaborate with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to support Sudan’s democratic transition. They warned that Sudan has little time left to find a solution to the current political process if it wishes to avoid more disastrous consequences.

In that statement, Perthes called on the Sudanese parties to speed up finding a solution to the country’s political crisis. “We don’t have much time, and we’ve seen in the last four months the deterioration of the security, political and economic situation”, he said.