Sudan’s government declares UN envoy no longer welcome; warring sides agree to 24-hour cease-fire

By JACK JEFFERY
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s government says the U.N. envoy to the country, a key negotiator in its brutal conflict, is no longer welcome. The announcement late Thursday comes weeks after the head of the country’s military, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, demanded in a letter that envoy Volker Perthes be removed from his post. On Friday, The United Nations spokesperson denounced the move. Meanwhile, Saudi mediators said the Sudanese military and the paramilitary have agreed to a new 24-hour cease-fire to start Saturday at 6 am. Since mid-April, 15, Sudan’s military, headed by Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been locked in a conflict that has killed more than 860 civilians. Perthes was appointed as special envoy in 2021.