Khartoum, Jan. 10 — The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres welcomed the launching of the final phase of the political process in Sudan, which was launched by the signatories to the framework agreement on the 8th of January, with the facilitation of the tripartite mechanism (the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations), at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum.

Stéphane Dujarric, the official spokesperson, of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Gutorres, issued statement indicating that the UN Secretary- General welcomes the launching of the final phase in the political process towards restoring a civilian-led transition in Sudan.

The statement indicated that the step builds on the progress achieved upon the signing of the Political Framework Agreement on 5 December 2022, and marks another important step forward towards realizing the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy, peace and sustainable development.

The statement asserted that the UN remains committed to supporting the process and to help secure a final political agreement over the coming weeks through the Trilateral Mechanism comprised of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD.

The Secretary-General underscored the importance of including the broadest array of Sudanese stakeholders, including women, youth, and civil society to ensure a lasting settlement, urging the key stakeholders which did not sign the 5 December Agreement to join the political process.

The UN stressed the importance of strong and coordinated international support to the political process under the framework of the Trilateral Mechanism.