UN concludes first stage of consultations in Sudan to end political crisis

Khartoum, Feb. 14 (IANS): The UN mission in Sudan has concluded the first stage of consultations with Sudanese parties to end the political crisis in the country.

The UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) said that it would soon produce a summary document that highlights major areas of consensus among Sudanese political forces on contentious matters on the transition to civilian rule, reports Xinhua news agency.

Volker Perthes, head of the UNITAMS, described the consultation process as “valuable” as it allows the mission to hear a range of perspectives and proposals from the Sudanese people.

On January 10, the UNITAMS launched an intra-Sudanese political process to end the country’s political crisis and Perthes has been in consultations with Sudanese political parties and civil forces in the country.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council, declared a state of emergency on October 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.

Since then, opposition groups have been staging regular mass protests in the capital Khartoum and other cities to demand civilian rule.