Sudan army-led Council signals tougher line on U.N. mediation

FILE PHOTO: U.N. Special Representative in Sudan Volker Perthes speaks during a news conference in Khartoum, Sudan January 10, 2022. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The deputy head of Sudan's military-led Sovereign Council said on Saturday a U.N. envoy should be working as a "facilitator and not a mediator", signalling an apparent tougher line towards international efforts to resolve a political crisis.

A United Nations mission led by special envoy Volker Perthes began talks this month to help resolve the standoff which followed a coup last year. Previously, the Sovereign Council has welcomed the U.N. initiative, and Perthes has said the army had no objections to his presence.