UN: Sudan's Army Shouldn't Miss Chance to Withdraw from Politics

Protests in Khartoum (AP)
Protests in Khartoum (AP)
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UN: Sudan's Army Shouldn't Miss Chance to Withdraw from Politics

Protests in Khartoum (AP)
Protests in Khartoum (AP)

The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sudan, Volker Perthes, said that the Sudanese army's announcement of withdrawal from politics is "an opportunity that needs to be grasped."

Perthes began new moves to revive the political process halted after the army withdrew from the dialogue with the civilian forces in early July.

He said in a statement, which Asharq Al-Awsat received a copy of, that civilians must accept the challenge and form a civilian government.

Perthes said that the Trilateral Mechanism would continue to provide unlimited support to all Sudanese efforts to overcome the deadlock and find a way out of the crisis.

"We will continue to provide technical assistance and provide a space where divergent views by different parties can be bridged when needed."

The UN official warned that "Time is not on Sudan's side. The continuation of the political impasse will lead to more losses of recent national gains."

"We call on all major forces, political parties, and grassroots movements, including the Resistance Committees, to open communication channels with one another and to think through their ideas and proposals," he said.

Perthes noted that broad participation in the political process is something that the Sudanese political forces can achieve by ensuring the broadest possible consultations with the actors and stakeholders close to them.

In his statement, the UN envoy referred to Lieutenant General Abdelfattah al-Burhan's announcement on 4 July, which Lt-Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo later confirmed.

He said it positively indicated that the military was prepared to accept the leadership of a civilian-led government to oversee a democratic transition.

"This presented a challenge for the civilian forces, which we have encouraged them to accept. The withdrawal of the military from politics and the return to civilian government has been a key demand of the street and most political parties and civilian political forces."

According to Perthes, there are now several political initiatives that propose solutions.

"We have mentioned more than once that full Sudanese ownership of the political process is the cornerstone for its success."

He warned that progress under the current situation in the debt relief process, which amounts to $56 billion, would be impossible.

The political process to resolve the Sudanese crisis, led by the Trilateral Mechanism of the United Nations, the African Union, and the African Intergovernmental Organization (IGAD), froze ahead of Eid al-Adha.

Differences emerged after the army announced its withdrawal from the political process, saying it aimed to allow the political forces to form a civilian government of independent figures.



Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
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Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed

The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable it blamed on Israel.

"All internet and fixed-line communication services in the Gaza Strip have been cut following the targeting of the last remaining main fibre optic line in Gaza," the PA's telecommunications ministry said in a statement, accusing Israel of attempting to cut Gaza off from the world, AFP reported.

"The southern and central Gaza Strip have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in experiencing complete isolation for the second consecutive day," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that its maintenance and repair teams had been unable to safely access the sites where damage occurred to the fibre optic cable.

"The Israeli occupation continues to prevent technical teams from repairing the cables that were cut yesterday", it said, adding that Israeli authorities had prevented repairs to other telecommunication lines in Gaza "for weeks and months".

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the communication lines were "directly targeted by occupation forces".

It said the internet outage was hindering its emergency services by impeding communication with first responder teams in the field.

"The emergency operations room is also struggling to coordinate with other organisations to respond to humanitarian cases."

Maysa Monayer, spokeswoman for the Palestinian communication ministry, told AFP that "mobile calls are still available with very limited capacity" in Gaza for the time being.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure across the Palestinian territory, including water mains, power lines and roads.