After Sudan declared special envoy Volker Perthes unwelcome, the U.N. stated Friday that U.N. workers could not be made persona non grata.
Eight weeks ago, Sudan’s army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began fighting, causing a humanitarian disaster. The U.S. and Saudi Arabian negotiators announced a nationwide 24-hour ceasefire Friday starting Saturday am.
Sudan informed the U.N. Thursday that Perthes was persona non grata. Burhan earlier criticized the envoy.
“The Secretary General recalls that the doctrine of persona non grata is not applicable to or in respect of United Nations personnel and its invocation is contrary to the obligations of states under the Charter of the United Nations,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday.
Perthes is in Addis Ababa.
