UN envoy to Sudan is 'persona non grata'

Published on 22/10/2006 00:44

SUDAN'S military chiefs have labelled the senior UN envoy to the country "persona non grata" and demanded an apology over "unacceptable" comments about battles between troops and rebels in Darfur.

Jan Pronk, a former Dutch diplomat, wrote on his personal blog that government forces had lost "two major battles" in Darfur while fighting rebels from the western region's ethnic African population.

"Reports speak about hundreds of casualties in each of the two battles, many wounded soldiers and many taken as prisoner," Pronk said. "Morale in the government army in North Darfur has gone down. Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused fighting."

The military said the remarks were "psychological war against the army".

State TV quoted Major General Mohammed al-Amin as saying he expected "the political and the military leaderships to take further measures to either expel Pronk or ask him to leave".