End of the UN political Mission in Sudan

At the request of Sudanese authorities, the United Nations Security Council terminated the political mission in the country, known as Minuats, on Friday. The African nation has been ravaged by a deadly war between two rival generals for over seven months.

Acknowledging Khartoum's letter requesting the departure of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, the resolution, adopted by 14 votes in favor and one abstention (Russia), "decides to terminate the mandate of Minuats (...) starting from December 3, 2023," with a transitional period until February 29 for the transfer of its activities.

This decision was not taken lightly by several Council members, as Minuats documented human rights violations that have multiplied since the start of the war. "Let's be clear, the United Kingdom would not have chosen to close Minuats now," said British Deputy Ambassador James Kariuki, whose country drafted the text.

"We are very concerned that a reduced international presence in Sudan may only encourage perpetrators of atrocities, with terrible consequences for civilians," echoed his U.S. counterpart Robert Wood. In its resolution, the Council, calling for an end to hostilities, also expressed "alarm" at the continuation of violence, the humanitarian situation, and "serious human rights violations."

This decision by the Council "is the culmination of the catastrophic abdication of responsibility towards civilians at a time when the risks of atrocities and large-scale human rights violations are greater than ever," denounced Louis Charbonneau of the NGO Human Rights Watch in a statement.

Minuats was established in 2020 to support the democratic transition in Sudan after the fall of Omar al-Bashir in the previous year under pressure from the army and the streets. However, in October 2021, the challenging transition to a civilian regime faltered with a coup led by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane.

On April 15, before the signing of an agreement meant to revive the democratic transition, fighting broke out between General Burhane and his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, who led the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

A few weeks later, the army chief demanded the dismissal of Minuats' head, German Volker Perthes, holding him responsible for the war. The diplomat, banned from returning to Sudan, ultimately resigned last September.

Emphasizing that Minuats "no longer meets the top priorities" of Sudan, Khartoum demanded its immediate end in mid-November, leaving no choice for the Security Council, as UN missions must operate with the consent of the host country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly rejected the accusations against the organization this week, pointing fingers at "two generals who completely disregard the interests of their population."

"It is time to call a spade a spade. It is the fault of those who sacrificed the interests of their people for a simple power struggle and those who support them," he added, referring to "financial and weaponry" support from other unnamed actors. The forced departure of the political mission in Sudan is a new setback for the UN, which faces hostility regarding its effectiveness in politics and security, especially in Africa.

Under pressure from the Malian junta, the Security Council terminated the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (Minusma) in June, and the Blue Helmets are expected to leave by the end of the month. Despite Minuats' departure, which had about 250 employees at the end of October, "the United Nations is not leaving Sudan," insisted UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric this week, ensuring that the organization would continue its humanitarian and political efforts.

In this context, Antonio Guterres appointed Algerian Ramtane Lamamra as his "personal representative" for Sudan. 

The conflict triggered on April 15 has resulted in over 10,000 deaths, according to an estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled), considered widely underestimated. It has also displaced more than six million people, according to the UN, and destroyed most infrastructure.