Hundreds demonstrate against the UN in Sudan

Hundreds of Sudanese protesters rallied Wednesday in front of the United Nations mission in the capital, Khartoum, to call for its dismissal.

The protestors included supporters of Islamist groups critical of efforts by UN envoy Volker Perthes to resolve the political crisis in the country since last year's military coup.

"Volker must leave today, before tomorrow. If he doesn't, we will make him leave by force. We will not plead, write reports or speeches [to the UN]. It will be by force, by direct force", threatened Sudanese protester, Mohammed Sayed.

The rallies came as the UN Security Council is considering extending the mission's mandate beyond June 3rd.

Many accuse the envoy of interfering in Sudan's internal affairs.

"Volker came to involve parties [of the Forces of Freedom and Change] back in the Sudanese society. The Sudanese society is against these parties. These people work for their own benefit, and their work involves exclusion and vengeance. We will not stop, and we will not calm down until the problems in Sudan are resolved by the Sudanese", claimed Ahmed Ali, another Sudanese protestor.

The UN mission, along with the African Union and regional bloc IGAD, have been pushing to facilitate Sudanese-led talks to resolve the crisis.

On Sunday, military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan lifted the state of emergency imposed since the coup to set the stage for "meaningful dialogue that achieves stability for the transitional period".

The decision came after a meeting with senior military officials that also recommended that people detained under an emergency law be freed.