SUDAN: Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq orders the top U.N. envoy, Jan Pronk, to leave the country within three days

Record ID: 436230

  • Title: SUDAN: Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq orders the top U.N. envoy, Jan Pronk, to leave the country within three days
  • Date: 23rd October 2006
  • Summary: (BN13) KHARTOUM, SUDAN (OCTOBER 22, 2006) (REUTERS) SUDANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 7th November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sudan
  • Country: Sudan
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAY302EN79LRSHMJURCU1NCT9P
  • Story Text: Sudan on Sunday (October 22) ordered the top U.N. envoy, Jan Pronk, to leave the country within three days following comments he made that the army's morale was low after suffering two major defeats in the violent Darfur region.
    Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq said Pronk had until mid-day Wednesday to leave.
    "Mr. Jan Pronk has been summoned this afternoon to the ministry of foreign affairs and he has been given a copy of a letter from Dr. Lam Akol, minister of foreign affairs to the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan," Sadiq said.
    The letter is very clear that the government of Sudan would like to terminate the mission of Mr. Jan Pronk as the special representative of the secretary general of the United Nations in the Sudan as of mid-afternoon today. Mr. Jan Pronk was given 72 hours to leave the country," he added.
    Pronk has previously had problems with the government because of comments he published on his Web log www.janpronk.nl. The latest blog entry said Darfur rebels had beaten the army in two major battles in the last two months.
    He said generals had been sacked, morale was low and soldiers were refusing to fight in North Darfur. The army was furious and issued a statement on Friday (October 20) calling Pronk a danger to the nation's security.
    "Mr. Jan Pronk said that the government of national unity is not implementing the Darfur Peace Agreement and that the government of Sudan is supporting the Janjaweed, a claim which has been denied so many times by the government of the Sudan," Sadiq said.
    "Jan Pronk has criticized the Sudanese Armed Forces and he alleged that these Sudanese Armed Forces are operating in a very low morale," he continued.
    "We consider such statements are incompatible with the mission of the special representative of the secretary general," the foreign ministry spokesman stated.
    He, however, explained that the decision to expel Pronk would not affect the work of the U.N. mission in Sudan.
    "We appreciate the cooperation with the United Nations and we are willing to further advance this cooperation with another person who might be named by the secretary general who is ready to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Sudan," Sadiq said.
    Pronk's spokeswoman declined comment.
    Pronk, 66, has been Secretary-General Kofi Annan's top envoy in Sudan for nearly two years. He was formerly the Dutch minister of environment and development cooperation.
    Pronk is known in Sudan for his dedication to his job, but also his blunt comments, which irked some parties. Sudanese privately call him the "governor-general" of Khartoum, a reference to the former British colonial ruler.
    Experts say 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million forced from their homes since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing the central government of neglect.
    Pro-government militias are accused of a campaign of rape, murder and pillage, which Washington calls genocide.
    Khartoum denies genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in the region.
    Only one of three negotiating rebel factions signed a May peace accord brokered by the African Union. Many non-signatories formed the new NRF alliance which renewed hostilities with the government in June.
    Since the deal, violence has only escalated in Darfur with rebel infighting and NRF clashes with the government. Tens of thousands more have been displaced and dozens of people killed.
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