Musings From Abroad

United Nations envoy to Sudan, Perthes steps down

Published

3 weeks ago

September 14, 2023

Over three months after being declared persona non grata in Sudan, a United Nations special envoy, Volker Perthes has confirmed that he will be stepping down.

Since the declaration in June, Perthes has been operating from outside of Sudan, drawing a reaction from the United Nations that its employees could not be treated unfavourably.

Perthes, while appreciating the UN Security Council on Thursday for the opportunity to serve in the troubled North African country for a period of two and half years, revealed that he had requested to be taken off the role.

“I am grateful to the Secretary-General for that opportunity and for his confidence in me, but I have asked him to relieve me of this duty”, he said.

Clashes between the army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s transitional government’s Sovereign Council, and army troops loyal to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the council’s deputy leader who controls the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have led to the destruction of facilities.

There is “minimal doubt who is responsible for what,” Perthes told the 15-member Security Council. He also warned that “what started as a conflict between two military formations could be morphing into a full-blown civil war.

“Often indiscriminate aerial bombing is conducted by those who have an airforce, which is the SAF. Most of the sexual violence, lootings and killings happen in areas controlled by the RSF and are conducted or tolerated by the RSF and their allies,” he said during his last council briefing.

Meanwhile, the UN in a report on Wednesday called that the conflicting parties regard civilians and children, noting that “the ongoing killing of civilians in Khartoum, Nyala, Al Fasher and other areas underscores the fact that the parties to this conflict are not honouring the pledges they signed up to on 11 May or the fundamental rules of international law underpinning them.”

According to local health officials, since April’s fighting between the regular army and the RSF has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 civilians and injured many more.

Related Topics:Featured UN Volker Perthes

Click to comment

Musings From Abroad

Germany to support ECOWAS with $86 million

Published

2 days ago

October 1, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will receive 81 million euros ($85.9 million) in support from Germany’s Development Ministry for peacekeeping and economic growth.

“The crises in West Africa require regional solutions. In addition to actively mediating in crises, ECOWAS also actively works to prevent crises, according to Development Minister, Svenja Schulze, who met with an ECOWAS delegation on Friday in Berlin.

Germany enjoys a positive reputation in many African countries thanks to its long-standing alliance with nations like Niger and Nigeria, although it has fallen out with the Malian government, which is notorious for its counter-posture to the West. Hundreds of German soldiers are also on missions across the West African sub-region, which has now become a breeding ground for terrorists.

But the case is different when it comes to economic relations. In 2021, German companies invested around $1.6 billion (€1.68 billion) in Africa, which was “encouraging but still far from enough.” In terms of Germany’s total direct foreign investment around the globe, only around 1% ends up in Africa.

China has led the chart for investment into the continent in recent years. While Chinese investment shows the fastest growth, and expanding, the significance of German enterprises for African economies is shrinking.

Musings From Abroad

UN Security Council approves funding of regional force, EACRF

Published

4 days ago

September 28, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

A proposal to fund the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received official approval from the UN Security Council.

The EAC Secretary General, Dr Peter Mathuki, while speaking after a meeting with the Security Council during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, said the deal would be finalized soon after Monusco finally withdrew from the DRC by December this year.

“What has happened is that the UN Security Council is very keen and appreciative of the role of the EAC in supporting the security of the eastern DRC,” said Dr Mathuki.

“They have agreed to work a mechanism that will support our troops in DRC, and they said as Monusco closes down, and reduces their numbers in DRC, they will wish to strengthen the EACRF.”

Dr. Mathuki stated that he had asked the Security Council to assist in funding the EACRF, which at the moment has more than 4,000 soldiers from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan, as they prepare to scale down Monusco.

“We have proposed funding the EACRF, and the UN Security Council said they are meeting in December which we will be able to determine how much they can draw down from Monusco and how much they will be able to get to fund the EACRF,” Dr Mathuki said.

Last week, DRC President, Felix Tshisekedi, in his address at the UN General Assembly, argued that Monusco’s withdrawal was crucial to ending the conflict between the Congolese people and the mission.

“The acceleration of the withdrawal of the Monusco becomes an imperative necessity to ease tensions between the latter and our fellow citizens,” he said.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a rising tide of anti-UN peacekeeping forces in some African nations. Mail had earlier requested that the UN end its mission in the country and withdraw, and the UN complied, ending the MINUSMA mission there.