(Photo by Gary Raynaldo ©Diplomatic Times) The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, briefs reporters outside UN Security Council chamber at UN world headquarters in New York after meeting on situation in Sudan May 24, 2022.
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
UNITED NATIONS – NEW YORK – The UN Security Council met Tuesday on the situation in Northeast African nation Sudan. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Volker Perthes, said the overall situation has remained precarious, with much at stake – including Sudan’s political, social and economic stability. Perthes said time is short for the Sudanese to reach a political solution to forge a way out of the crisis, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN-SG António Guterres, told reporters during a press briefing after the Security Council meeting. Dujarric said the UN envoy stressed that it is time for all violence to end. “We have urged the authorities, he said, to reach out to the public, make clear that they are supporting dialogue as the only way to reach a political solution,” Dujarric said.
“Since a ‘trilateral mechanism’ to facilitate Sudan-Sudan talks was set up, the UN, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development have stated that these talks will only succeed in a conducive environment, and that is up to the Sudanese, particularly the authorities,” Dujarric added.
UN Says Time Running Out To Find Political Solution To End SUDAN Crisis – YouTube
The political situation in the Sudan remained deadlocked
The UN Secretary-General’s report on the situation on Sudan was presented during Tuesday’s Security Council meeting. “The political situation in the Sudan remained deadlocked following the resignation of the Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, covered in my previous report,” according to the UN Secretary-General.
“Throughout the reporting period, neighbourhood resistance committees continued to organize regular protests across the country, albeit on a smaller scale than during the previous reporting period. Protesters continued, often by blocking roads, to oppose the military rule and denounce the worsening economic conditions. Organizers continued to call for peaceful demonstrations,” UN Secretary-General.
Human rights, rule of law and protection situation:
“Throughout the reporting period, human rights violations continued, and abuses against civilians were reported across the country, including in Khartoum and resulting from intercommunal clashes in Darfur. Security forces continued to use excessive force against protesters, including firing live ammunition, stun grenades and tear gas, reportedly resulting in 13 civilian deaths, all of whom were men (8) and boys (5), and 1,708 injuries. In addition, reports were received of 186 arbitrary arrests and the ongoing detention of approximately 138 resistance committee leaders, political protesters and civil society activists. Forty-eight individuals were released during this period.”
-UN Secretary-General Report on Sudan
Economic Crisis Likely To Double Number of people facing acute hunger in the Sudan to more than 18 million
Also, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today warned that erratic seasonal rains, floods, pests and diseases, and other factors have led to estimates for the upcoming harvest in Sudan being well below average. In March, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the combined effects of conflict, economic crisis and poor harvests were significantly affecting people’s access to food and would likely double the number of people facing acute hunger in the Sudan The prices of sorghum and millet continued to soar across Sudan, according to the FAO. The FAO and the WFP estimate that the number of people who are acutely food insecure across Sudan is expected to increase from 9.8 million last year to 18 million by this September 2022.
