Sudanese leaders call for dismissal of UN envoy

More than 100 Sudanese political and civic leaders have called for the dismissal of the UN's envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, accusing him in a letter to the UN chief of siding with the military and failing to advance a peace process. According to the Sudan Tribune, the letter, sent on Friday was signed by 103 figures, including political leaders, human rights advocates, and journalists. It stated that Lamamra’s ‘continuation in his position is complicating the crisis and undermining the United Nations’ efforts’. The group called for a new envoy with proven negotiation and communication skills. The letter accused Lamamra of failing to pressure warring parties to cease using the humanitarian situation as a means of leverage and of not devising a viable peace process nearly 18 months after his appointment. ‘Lamamra has ignored the legacy and history of civilian forces,’ the letter said, alleging he was biased towards the army’s narrative and that his actions were ‘amplifying the sound of guns over the weakened voices of civilians’. The signatories claimed Lamamra had aligned himself with the army’s roadmap, which they said could lead to the country’s division, and accused him of ‘celebrating the appointment of illegitimate ministers’. UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Lamamra, a veteran Algerian diplomat, in November 2023. The appointment came shortly after Sudan’s ruling authorities requested the termination of the UN’s previous political mission, the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission. Efforts by other bodies, including the African Union and the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development bloc, have so far failed to broker a lasting settlement between Sudan’s warring factions. Sudan’s army-led government has recently made constitutional amendments that critics say consolidate its power and has named Kamel Idris as Prime Minister.