Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed (Sudan) on…

Remarks from Sudan's Permanent Representative to the UN Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed:

"Sudan did not write an official memo to the UN or to the US regarding a specific position that Sudan is going to take. When the penholder asked for 3 months special extension for UNITAMS, Sudan government added 3 months to make it 6 months. There is an issue, everybody knows: Sudan wrote to His Excellency, the [UN] SG to replace the Special Representative because of specific remarks that have been stated in the note. . . . . We asked politely to replace the specific person regarding the leadership of UNITAMS. We said we are ready to engage in connection with any future strategic reviews for the work of UNITAMS. I declare here, that Sudan supports the work of UNITAMS, Sudan is not bargaining with threats, we're not in a position of threats, multilateral relations does not require threats. We believe the new roadmap that His Excellency, the Security General has released regareding the new peace agenda. Let us not waste our time in any position that is not accurate. We will not allow to poison the relation between Sudan and the UN. Sudan is not such a great power that we can intimidate the UN. . . . . We don't want to create a fuss out of nothing. We don't have any specific hostility toward Volker (Perthes). This is not personal. . . . . We need a new perspective to understand what is going on in Sudan. They still consider this conflict is a ferocious military engagement between two military parties. This will not lead to any benign resolution of the conflict. This conflict is an intimidation supported by regional powers. This conflict is not bilateral, or bipartisan, this is a kind of replacement of the identity of the people. . . .We don't want the good offices of the Secretary General to stop at this stage. Because we know the role of the regional international organizations, but it is not enough. . . .Take this example, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali, came here and he asked the Security Council to terminate the mandate of MINUSMA, which is 15,000 soldiers, which is a peace-keeping force. What happens? They terminated it immediately. When Sudan honorably delivered a [request] to the UN asking, because of the loss of trust, will you kindly replace him? And this is right for the Member States to do, because they don't want to waste their time. They need the strategic targets and objectives delineated. Let us sit down and make a review of the strategic objectives. We know there is a stressful relationship that may harm the steady relation with the UN. I am not blaming the UN, the UN is has done good in the past, and is continuing to do its utmost efforts in a very difficult situation."