5/1/2017
H.E. Antonio Guterres
Secretary General,
United Nations
Dear Secretary General,
Please accept the season’s greetings.
Please accept my heartiest Congratulations on behalf of the people of Sudan as represented by the National Umma Party.
You are stepping into an office with many challenges ahead, namely:
- The need to develop the UN towards a Union of Nations not simply of governments, which should give more institutional access to the people as represented by nongovernmental
- The need for UN reform after 70 years of experience. The UN was established when its membership was 51 Nation states. The number now is 193. The use of Vito power by five permanent members has been in many cases abused. This has violated democratic principles, and strained the Peace and stability functions of the United Nations.
- For our own country, the Sudan, we appreciate the fact that the UN has spent a big proportion of its budget on two Sudan related items, namely, a peace keeping mission, and humanitarian relief.
- The fact that there are now 63 UNSC Resolutions on Sudan, most of which are under chapter seven, makes the UN a legitimate Partner in Sudanese affairs.
- The people of Sudan look up to a future built upon comprehensive and just peace, and democratization. They are prepared to espouse all the measures that would lead to such a future. However, some stakeholders insist on blocking the road up to such a peace and democratization future.
We look up to the U.N in coordination with the AU peace and Security Council to issue a Resolution demanding all Sudanese stakeholders to commit themselves to the implementation of confidence building measures, namely, cessation of hostilities, humanitarian relief access, guarantee of basic Freedoms and release of political prisoners.
Such measures would pave the way for all stakeholders to engage in comprehensive National dialogue which would evaluate the recommendations of the limited dialogue in the Friendship Hall and move beyond them towards comprehensive and Just Peace, and viable democratization.
Towards such a successful outcome, the UN could recommend external debt relief, lifting of all sanctions, nuanced approach to accountably, as I have presented to Mr. Hervé Ladsous, Assistant to UNSG 2011 in New York. His response then was, we will respond positively to the requests of the people of Sudan.
Finally, we know that your clout will be limited by the members of the Security Council, but we look forward for you to advocate measures, that make the World more peaceful, more democratic, and more Just.
Your track record makes us optimistic about the future of the UN, despite the emergence of reactionary forces in the World today.
I am yours sincerely,
Al Sadig Al Mahdi
