Sudan urges UN to replace its special envoy

Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol in a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has accused the UN envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk of undermining Darfur peace, urging the international body to replace him, local daily Sudan Tribune reported on its website on Tuesday.

"It is now evident to us that Mr Pronk has actually engaged in activities incompatible with his status and had needlessly and recklessly endangered and undermined the nascent Darfur peace process," the letter was quoted as reporting.

Lam Akol pledged that Sudanese government "will cooperate with a replacement."

On Sunday, Sudan ordered the special envoy of the UN Chief Annan in Sudan Pronk to leave the country within 72 hours following comments he made that the Sudanese army's morale was low after suffering two major defeats in the violent Darfur region.

Lam Akol accused Pronk of "unwarranted interference" beyond his mandate as Annan's special envoy in Sudan and he had developed "a history of a pattern of hostility against the government of Sudan and its armed forces."

"He had repeatedly abused the powers of his office, violated his terms of engagement as a special representative," the Sudanese top diplomat stated in his letter.

Sudan accused Pronk of criticizing Khartoum for not implementing the May 5th peace agreement on Darfur signed by Khartoum and an African rebel group.

Earlier, Pronk said in his blog that the Sudanese government had diverted the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) by excluding the non- signatory rebels from the Ceasefire Commission (CFC) and carrying out attacks against these groups with militias, "without risking that such a violation of the DPA will be raised in the CFC, let alone condemned and sanctioned."

The Sudanese foreign minister also said that the UN envoy was guilty of "enticing, aiding and abetting the (rebel) armed groups. "

Pronk had accused Khartoum of siding with Arab militias known as Janjaweed "for the purpose of cleansing the African tribes" in Darfur, the minister added.

However, Sudan denies charges of mobilizing and arming the Arab Janjaweed militia. Pro-government militias are accused of a campaign of rape, murder and pillage, which Washington calls it a genocide.

Source: Xinhua