New UN envoy to work with African Union on Sudan crisis
Sudanese demonstrators gather during a rally outside the army complex in the capital Khartoum on April 16, 2019. AFP PHOTO
What you need to know:
- The African Union has called on Sudan's military to hand over power to a civilian government within 15 days and strongly condemned the army takeover as a coup d'etat.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed an envoy to Sudan to work with the African Union on mediating an end to the crisis sparked by a military takeover.
Nicholas Haysom, a South African lawyer who has served as UN envoy in Somalia, Afghanistan as well as for Sudan and South Sudan, will support AU-led mediation efforts between the military and civil society, said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
The African Union has called on Sudan's military to hand over power to a civilian government within 15 days and strongly condemned the army takeover as a coup d'etat.
The AU peace and security council has threatened to suspend Sudan from the 55-nation organization if it does not move to establish civilian rule.
"The African Union put out a very clear statement," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. Haysom will "do whatever he can to support their efforts."
Guterres discussed the appointment of the envoy by phone on Tuesday with Moussa Faki, the head of the African Union Commission.
Sudan's military rulers who removed president Omar al-Bashir from office on April 11 have offered dialogue with all political groups on forming a civilian government after protesters kept up demands for change.
Following Bashir's ouster, Guterres has called for a transition that meets the "democratic aspiration" of the Sudanese people.
The UN Security Council is due to meet on the Sudan crisis on Wednesday.
Sudan military ruler sacks prosecutor general
Meanwhile, Sudan's new military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan sacked the country's prosecutor general on Tuesday, the military council said, after protesters demanded he be fired.
"Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has issued a declaration sacking the prosecutor general Omer Ahmed Mohamed," the council said in a statement.
Burhan replaced Mohamed with Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed as the country's new acting prosecutor general, the council said.
On Monday the group spearheading the protest movement against the old regime demanded the military council sack the prosecutor general.
