UN official urges Sudanese Army to uphold people's rights to peaceful protest amid crisis

A United Nations (UN) official on Friday, 29 October, called on the Sudanese security forces to uphold people's right to peacefully protest ahead of the expected demonstrations on Saturday. Volker Perthes, head of the United Nations Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) said in a statement, “We call on the security forces to respect the right of peaceful protest and refrain from using violence.” He also urged the demonstrators to commit themselves to peacefulness and not indulge in violence. 

Perthes further pledged to direct all efforts to facilitate a constructive and comprehensive dialogue among all parties to bring the peace process back on track. Khartoum is expected to witness protests on Saturday against the recent measures adopted by the army which claimed control of the country on 25 October, ousting Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. 

The Sudan coup leader and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency and justified the dissolving of the sovereign council and the government as a measure to prevent “civil war.” Recently, Al-Burhan informed that a new Prime Minister and the Sovereign Council will appear in the African nation "within a week at the latest.”

'Sudan’s new PM will be a technocrat; no candidates yet'

While speaking with Sputnik, Burhan informed that the new Prime Minister of Sudan will be a technocrat but revealed that there are no candidates for the post as of now. According to him, as revealed in the interview, it is the “patriotic duty” of the armed forces to lead Sudanese people as there are no political forces in the country.

As the situation still remains grim in Sudan with at least nine protesters being killed in the demonstrations, the UNITAMS head said in a statement on Friday that the body is “actively coordinating with mediation efforts currently underway to facilitate an inclusive dialogue, which remains the only path toward a peaceful solution to the current crisis. The United Nations reaffirms its unwavering commitment to supporting the realisation of the legitimate aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful and democratic transition in Sudan.”

(Image: AP)