New York, 27 October (IRIN): The Sudanese ambassador to the UN said Thursday that the head of the UN Mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, who was expelled from the country for remarks in his personal web-blog, had not supported the Khartoum government.
Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem said: – He was a failure as far as we are concerned. He was not supportive, he was abusive (fornærmende), he became part of the problem rather than the solution.
Pronk was recalled for consultations in New York on 22 October after a letter from the government of Sudan to the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, requesting that the former Dutch cabinet minister be withdrawn.
The request came after the Khartoum authorities took offence at criticism of the Sudanese Armed Forces on Pronks personal web-blog, and in particular, a claim that the Sudanese army had lost major battles to Darfur rebels in Um Sidir in September, and in Karakaya in early October.
Appointed to the Sudan in June 2004, Pronk became known for his no-nonsense style and candid remarks on the Darfur crisis. In November 2005, he started a web-blog and began to document his activities.
Pronk is reported to have claimed that the morale of the Sudanese army in North Darfur was low, that some Sudanese army generals had been sacked, and some soldiers were refusing to fight.
Abdalhaleem disregarded Pronks statements, describing them as “not faithful” to the Sudanese army. Pronks comments, he said, reflected “things which he heard from some people about imaginary battles that had taken place”.
In May, the Sudanese government and one of the leading Darfuri rebel groups signed a peace agreement in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, aimed at ending three years of conflict in Darfur. But other rebel groups have declined to sign up.
Amid speculation that Pronk would have to step down from his role, UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Thursday that, as far as the UN was concerned, his status remained unchanged.
The expulsion of a top UN official in Sudan comes at a critical time. In August, the UN Security Council agreed to send 17.000 UN troops and 3.000 police to Darfur to take over from an African Union force of 7.500 troops. Sudans government has repeatedly rejected this transfer of command to the UN.
Pronk met twice with Annan on Thursday and will be addressing the UN Security Council Friday afternoon in a closed meeting to discuss his expulsion and action on the ground.
At least 200.000 civilians have died as first government troops and allied militias, and more recently, rebel groups, purged the countryside of civilian populations, driving 2,5 million Darfuris into huge displacement camps and across the border into Chad.
Kilde: FN-bureauet IRINnews
