"The Republic of Sudan’s government notified the United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
Secretary-General on Thursday, June 8, 2023, that Mr Volker Perthes, the head of UNITAMS, is considered persona non grata and is no longer welcome from today onward," announced the foreign ministry in Khartoum.
On May 26, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the military-led Sovereign Council, requested to replace Perthes, expressing dissatisfaction with the UNITAMS’s performance. He further attributed this to the style and behaviour of the mission’s chief.
However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
the UN Security Council, on June 2, extended the UNITAMS mandate for six months after a strong pleading by UN chief António Guterres
...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years...in favour of his special representative in Sudan.
In response, the Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations contested the continuation of Perthes in his position, saying that such a decision violates the UNITAMS agreement between his government and the UN.
UN Perthes cannot be designated persona non grata
[SUDANTRIBUNE] UN personnel cannot be designated as persona non grata, said the international body in response to a decision by the Sudanese government providing that Volker Perthes UNITAMS is unwelcome in the country.
Sudan’s foreign ministry, on June 8, declared Perthes persona non grata after a UN Security Council resolution to renew the UNITMAS for six months, ignoring a previous demand to replace its chief.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s reaction to the decision against Perthes, Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesman, said that the doctrine of the persona non-grate against foreign diplomats does not apply to UN personnel.
"The doctrine of persona non grata is not applicable to or in respect of United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
personnel, and its invocation is contrary to the obligations of States under the Charter of the United Nations, including those concerning the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel".
However,
facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable...
Dujarric could not confirm if the UNITAMS head would return to Sudan soon.
He added that Perthes is currently in Addis Ababa. There were unconfirmed reports that Perthes would be based in Nairobi to manage the activities of the UN mission in Sudan.