SKY NEWS โ UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says the UN is not leaving Sudan โ and โwe must all do everything within our powerโ to pull the country โback from the edge of the abyssโ.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, Mr Guterres said the UN โstands with the Sudanese people at this terrible timeโ.
โThe violence must stopโ, he said, during his opening remarks at the meeting.
He said the conflict โrisks a catastrophic conflagration within Sudan that could engulf the whole region and beyondโ.ย
Mr Guterres also โstrongly condemnedโ the bombing of civilian areas in the country.
The UN chief said he is in constant contact with parties involved in the conflict, adding that he has urged them to de-escalate tensions and โreturn to the negotiating tableโ.
Hundreds of UN staff members and their dependents have been evacuated from Khartoum and other locations in Sudan (see our 2.57pm post).
But Mr Guterres said: โLet me be clear, the United Nations is not leaving Sudan.
โOur commitment is to the Sudanese people in support of their wishes for a peaceful and secure future. We stand with them at this terrible time.โ
He called on council members to โexert maximum leverageโ, with both sides to end the violence and restore order in Sudan.
โWe must all do everything within our power to pull Sudan back from the edge of the abyss,โ he said.
Evacuation of British diplomats from Sudan โnearly collapsedโ โ report
Attempts to extract a Sudanese citizen during the evacuation of British diplomats yesterday nearly collapsed the entire operation, itโs being reported.
The Sunโs political editor Harry Cole reports that the issue caused a โsignificant delayโ to take-off of an evacuation plane.
He says the UKโs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office attempted to extract a Sudanese citizen who is the dependent of a British national.
A โtense stand offโ meant they did not join the delayed flight but were evacuated to safety by โalternative meansโ, Cole reports.
The mission was delayed by more than an hour due to the issue, he adds, citing Whitehall sources, and and risked the โentire thing collapsingโ.
