UNITED NATIONS, June 9 (Reuters) – The United Nations said on Friday that U.N. personnel cannot be made persona non grata after Sudan declared U.N. special envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes unwelcome in the country.
Sudan’s army – led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan – and the country’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began fighting eight weeks ago, sparking a major humanitarian crisis. They agreed a nationwide, 24-hour ceasefire from Saturday morning, U.S. and Saudi Arabian mediators said on Friday.
Sudan said on Thursday it had notified the United Nations that Perthes was persona non grata. Burhan had previously expressed his disapproval of the envoy.
“The Secretary General recalls that the doctrine of persona non grata is not applicable to or in respect of United Nations personnel and its invocation is contrary to the obligations of states under the Charter of the United Nations,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.
He said Perthes is currently in Addis Ababa.
Reporting by Michelle Nichols
Editing by Mark Potter
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