The United Nations on Friday expressed support for its envoy to Sudan, saying a decision by local authorities to declare Volker Perthes "persona non grata," was a violation of international law.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "the doctrine of persona non grata is not applicable to or in respect of United Nations personnel" and is contrary to Khartoum's obligations under the UN charter, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"Mr. Perthes' status is currently unchanged," Dujarric added.
At the end of May, the head of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, wrote to Guterres calling for the dismissal of Perthes, blaming him for the war that broke out in mid-April with the paramilitaries of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo.
On Thursday night, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said that the government had notified Guterres that it had declared Perthes "persona non grata."
The envoy, who was in New York when Burhan sent the letter calling for his dismissal, is currently in Addis Ababa, capital of neighboring Ethiopia.
"We will share any travel developments" concerning Perthes, Dujarric said.
The fighting has sidelined the envoy's efforts to revive Sudan's transition to civilian rule, which was derailed by a 2021 coup by the two generals before they fell out.
It has also complicated the coordination of international efforts to deliver emergency relief to the 25 million civilians that the United Nations estimates are in need.
A former academic who has headed the Sudan mission since 2021, Perthes has staunchly defended the UN against accusations of inflaming the conflict, saying those responsible are "the two generals at war."