The UN envoy for Sudan, Volker Perthes, has spoken to the Security Council on March 28, saying that Sudan is on the verge of an economic and security collapse, and that the only strategy to resolve the serious ongoing crisis is through a handover to a government led by civilians.
The reason for this crisis, added Perthes, is to be found in the organization of the coup d’état by the military last October 25 and in the subsequent systematic repression of protests of the Sudanese society, for months engaged in continuous demonstrations against the role of the military.
The immediate objective, says the UN representative, must be at this time the “return to constitutional order and the definition of a path of transition”, led by a civilian government. This commitment must also be supported by the UN, the African Union and the regional group of eight East African nations (the Intergovernmental Authority on Development).
This process, however, according to Perthes can only happen through the realization of favorable conditions that include the right to demonstrate, the cessation of violence by the military and the release of political detainees.
According to the special representative, the work carried out in the last two weeks by the main protest organizations and political parties, which have agreed on the need to identify a common path capable of allowing a solid and lasting solution to the crisis, would be encouraging.
Volker Perthes announced the imminent start of an intense phase of talks within the next two weeks between the different formations of the opposition forces, recalling how any failure at this time could lead to the cancellation of economic aid and the general collapse of the political system.
