UN vows to continue Sudan mission despite 'assassination threat' to senior staff

The United Nations has vowed to continue its operations in Sudan, despite news of an assassination threat against one of its senior staff. 

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the organisation was "deeply concerned" over reports that a man in Khartoum requested a fatwa, or Islamic edict, to allow him to assassinate the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, Volker Perthes.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the UN spokesperson said it was the responsibility of the Sudanese government to ensure the "safety and security of the UN mission and all of its members".

"The language of incitement and violence will only deepen divisions on the ground. It will not deter the UN Mission from carrying out its duties," Dujarric added.

Abdelmoneim, the man who publicly called for the assassination, was speaking at a gathering that included loyalists to ousted leader Omar Al-Bashir - a group that is fiercely critical of the UN's draft deal for a civilian government.

Sudan has been embroiled in a protracted political crisis since October 2021 when General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan seized control of the Sudanese government in a military coup. 

Those loyal to former autocrat Bashir gained greater political predominance amid the coup, and have used this position to oppose a UN draft deal for democratic rule.

The assassination threat is believed to have been made at an event organised by an Islamist group in Khartoum, and is one of many threats made against Peretz from extremist groups in the Sudan, reported Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Bashir’s rule saw Sudan isolated from the international community and plagued by ongoing civil conflicts.

His loyalists, who have a strong presence in the military, oppose the UN mission in the country and its leadership. 

Pro-democracy protesters, who have regularly taken to Sudan's streets since the coup, have called for a crackdown on Bashir's allies as the country transitions back to civilian rule.

Last week, groups sympathetic to Bashir attacked pro-democracy protesters in Kober, an area in Khartoum North in which Bashir is imprisoned and awaits trial over the 1989 coup that brought him to power.