Sudan’s government is requesting that the UN deploy a peacekeeping mission in the country to help during the transitional period, a spokesman for Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok said Sunday.
The mission’s mandate would be under Chapter 6 of the UN charter and would be deployed in the entire country, said a statement by spokesman Elnazir Alnazir.
The mission would contain "political agents" to push forward the peace process in the country, said the statement, but did not specify whether it would include military forces or not.
“Sudan's government has submitted a request to the United Nations asking for a UN Security Council mandate to deploy a peace-building mission under Chapter 6 of the UN charter,” the statement said.
It added that the mission should also help in implementation of the constitutional declaration governing the country’s transitional period until the general elections in 2022.
Sudan’s government in Capital city of Khartoum is leading negotiations with armed groups in the country in various areas, including Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and eastern Sudan.
South Sudan to default on deadline to form unity govt
With 13 days to meet a deadline for South Sudanese government and the opposition to form a transitional government of national unity, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) foreign ministers met Saturday to hammer out a solution.
Based on an agreement signed in Addis Ababa in September 2018 under mediation of the IGAD trading and security bloc, a transitional government should have been formed in May, leading to elections in 30 months.
But the pre-transitional period was extended six months with many issues pending, particularly security arrangements, federal state formation and military movement.
IGAD foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
IGAD Special Envoy to South Africa Ismail Wais told Anadolu Agency the situation in South Sudan has been a point of concern for IGAD countries and partners.
“While the security arrangement is progressing, we have only 13 days to deadline for the formation of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity,” he said.
The ministers are “bridging a proposal” to resolve the approaching deadline, he said, but could not indicate what the proposal would be.
Later, IGAD leaders are expected to discuss the proposal submitted by foreign ministers.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir is expected to attend the meeting, after which he would meet with main rival Riek Machar.
South Sudan slid into crisis when Kiir sacked Machar as vice president in December 2013 on suspicion of plotting a coup, followed by a protracted civil war that claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced 4 million people to flee their homes.