Hamdok: Sudan will co-operate with UN transitional mission

Sudan’s transitional Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said there would be “full co-operation” with the UN mission for political transition in the country.

The meeting, on Sunday, was his first meeting with Volker Perthes, the UN Special Representative of Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission,

Mr Perthes said he would travel across Sudan from March to hear from different segments of society and that his meeting with Mr Hamdok was “insightful”.

Mr Hamdok said the UN mission represents “all Sudanese” and not one specific party in the transitional government.

The mission was created in June 2020, initially established for one year.

Sudan’s political transitional period was extended to 39 months – starting not from the formation of the Transitional Sovereign Council after the fall of long-time dictator Omar Al Bashir in 2019, but from the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement in October 2020.

The Sovereign Council was expanded to include 14 members from the original 11, to include three members of rebel groups that were fighting government forces before the Juba deal was brokered.

Provincial governors are also set to be appointed on Monday, according to the official timetable.

Despite progress on the political track, and removal from the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, which opened significant avenues for economic growth, Sudan still suffers from fuel price hikes and shortages of basic goods.