Chad says UFDD rebels attack second eastern town - French army plane has been a target of a SolAir missile in E Chad

Reuters report via Sudan Tribune 24 Oct 2006 - excerpt:

A newly formed rebel group has attacked a second town in eastern Chad a day after briefly seizing a settlement near the border with Sudan, the central African country's government said on Tuesday.

Armed men attacked Am Timan on Monday afternoon, 24 hours after taking the town of Goz Beida and then being repelled by government forces, Communication Minister Hourmadji Moussa Doumgor said.

"The security forces are following the movements of these adventurers, whose objective is simply to show their presence on the ground and take advantage of the fact that the towns they have besieged do not have any significant military presence," he said.

The insurgents, calling themselves the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) -- the latest in a string of titles grouping various rebel factions -- have said they want polls to end the rule of President Idriss Deby.

Note this comment received here today at Sudan Watch:

tom has left a new comment on your post "Sudanese army is receiving military support from Chadian rebels based in Sudan, while Darfur rebels are supported by Chad":

I just heard on the French TV, TV5, that a French Army plane ("de reconaissance") has been the target of a SolAir missile in Eastern Chad... The plane would have been able to return to its base undamaged.
That would prove, once again, that France is helping Chadian government in their current fightings with rebels.

http://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2006/10/sudanese-army-is-receiving-military.html

[Ed: Somewhere here in Sudan Watch archives are news reports of French troops formally helping Chad, in official agreement with the Chadian government]

Sep 28 2006 AP report - Chirac: Sudanese government has no choice but to accept UN peacekeepers

Apr 13 2006 Reuters France supports Deby - Chad says rebel attack on capital N'Djamena defeated

Sep 28 2005 IRIN Janjaweed attack E Chad: French troops step up patrols

Next UN chief promises to end "crisis of confidence"

The following report tells us the next United Nations secretary-general has promised to end a "crisis of confidence" and heal divisions hampering the work of the world body. South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon, who takes over from Kofi Annan on January 1, said rebuilding trust in the UN must be a top priority.



Photo: Newly elected United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon addresses the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. Ban has promised to end a "crisis of confidence" and heal divisions hampering the work of the world body. (AFP)

Oct 24 2006 AFP report via Turkish Press - Next UN chief promises to end "crisis of confidence" - excerpt:

The security and humanitarian crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur, the flare-ups in the Middle East and conflicts in Africa also called for concerted responses, Ban said.

As secretary-general, he added, he intends to seek an active role in finding a peaceful settlement of the North Korean nuclear issue.

Ban, only the second Asian secretary-general since U Thant in 1961-71, promised to listen to suggestions on better ways to get things done.

"And fully in line with the national character and values of my home country, I will do so with humility, honesty and our trademark 'can do' spirit."

Jan Pronk photos: Explaining the Darfur Peace Agreement

See photos at Jan Pronk's Weblog Oct 21, 2006 and caption "Explaining the Darfur Peace Agreement on various occasions in the field."



One of the photos (see above) shows Mr Pronk with a microphone, tirelessly working to help broker peace. He's led an incredible two years in Sudan and packed them with amazing experiences.



Photo of UN helicopter in Darfur, western Sudan. (Jan Pronk Weblog/Paula Souverijn-Eisenberg)

and this, captioned: "Liria, Central Equatoria, Southern Sudan October 7, 2006"

Pronk: U.N. envoy's blunt blogging got him kicked out of Sudan

Excerpt from USATODAY editorial 24 Oct 2006:

Pronk's blog might have violated United Nations' standards about separating personal views from official duties. But the episode is far more important for the deeper - and disturbing - truths it reveals.

First, the Sudanese government, for all its denials, is involved in making Darfur's horrors worse even as it denies that to the outside world. And second, its agenda is to prevent effective international intervention.

For two years, Pronk has pushed the Sudanese to allow an international presence and to stop the orgy of rapes and killings. No doubt they are hoping his successor will be less outspoken; instead, the episode harshly spotlights what the Sudanese government is getting away with in Darfur.

What now? Not only was Jan Pronk one of the few who knew what was really going on in Sudan, he was a voice of those suffering in Sudan and the only civil servant willing to risk his neck over the past year to tell the world what is really going on in Darfur and warn of what needs to be done. Note, he was in favour of bolstering the African Union's mission in Darfur.



Photo: Chief U.N. Envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk of the Netherlands, speaks during a press conference in Khartoum, Sudan in this Thursday, Sept 21, 2006 file photo. The Sudanese government on Sunday Oct. 22, 2006 gave Pronk three days to leave the country, Sudan's official news agency reported whilst giving no reason for the order, but Pronk drew sharp criticism from the Sudanese military this month after writing in a personal Web log that government forces had suffered serious losses recently at the hands of rebels in Darfur. (AP Photo/Abdel Raouf)

Blogosphere picks up on UN envoy Jan Pronk being kicked out of Sudan for blogging

Instapundit picks up on Jan Pronk's blogging and is happy to hear that the Sudanese "government's doing badly, given that it's trying to accomplish a genocide" - and quotes this from Austin Bay's blog entry entitled Sudan/Pronk kicked out for blogging:

"He [Pronk] blogged the truth and the Sudan government now says 'goodbye'."

Note this comment by Dusty:

"Jan Pronk. He blogs Sudan so the MSM [mainstream media] doesn't have to."

Heh. How insightful. It's all so true!

See July 1, 2006 Sudan Watch Jan Pronk's blog entry picked up by the press: UN envoy calls for changes to Darfur peace plan (Reuters); UN envoy attacks Darfur agreement (BBC)

Note also, Outrage over Sudan's dictator poised to lead Africa.

Bloggers comments (more later - if and when I find them)

Oct 22 2006 Drima The Sudanese Thinker - Jan Pronk Told to Leave in 3 Days!: "...UPDATE: I was thinking. If the NCP is willing to kick out Jan Pronk over one tiny post in his blog, what the hell will they do to me if they find out about this blog?! Lord have mercy on me. Sigh! :-( ..." [Heh Drima. I was thinking the same about this blog! Now and then, in lapses of patience, I've called them baboons, cretins, buffoons and flea brained camel faced morons!]

Oct 23 2006 Black Kush - Sudan expels UN envoy Jan Pronk: "...Take it from me. The government will relent in the end and allow him to stay. This is high class politick...." [I agree, but have read reports that say Mr Pronk's position at the UN changes at the end of this year when SG Annan's tenure expires]

Oct 23 2006 Darfur: An Unforgivable Hell on Earth - Jan Pronk booted out of Sudan???????? - Hitler didn’t want anyone reporting on his genocidal tendancies either. [True!]

Oct 23 2006 Opinio Juris - When Diplomats Blog: "...Perhaps the UN wanted to give Pronk freedom to speak more candidly by describing the blog as personal reflections. That insulates the organization from criticism, and yet frees the diplomat to pursue a more effective strategy of public condemnation. I would suspect that this is the true agenda..." [I agree]

Oct 23 2006 Black Kush - NCP and SPLM: strange bed fellows: "...Now they are trading blows again. The SPLM claimed they were not consulted when Khartoum expelled the UN special envoy Jan Pronk. Being part of the government, where were the decisions made? Are there many governments in Khartoum? Now it is Khartoum's turn to slam the SPLM. The NCP said the visit of the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to Juba was wrong. Since Sudan is still one country, any president visiting should come through Khartoum and meet president Bashir first. Who is wrong and who is right?" [Good questions]

Oct 23 2006 Boing Boing - UN Envoy in Sudan booted after blogging about Darfur: links to Jerotus' Diplomat blogs reality and Sudan is not amused [Ed: Scroll down the last day of entries here and you will see Mr Pronk has not actually lost his position, the UN still considers him as SRSG in Sudan]

Oct 24 2006 A real life blogging Google Answers Researcher (GAR) notes a question about Legality of Coup Plot - see Google Question of the Day (or Week): UN envoy to Sudan expelled after blogging

Oct 24 2006 A Cloud In Trousers - Le Blog Diplomatique: Further reports reveal that Jan Pronk still has Kofi Annan's every confidence and is still the special envoy to Sudan. Happy birthday to the UN.

Oct 25 2006 Jen alic for ISN Security Watch - Darfur diplomacy 'blogged': " ...And so the pressure remains capped. ... Perhaps this will be Pronk's next personal blog rant."

Top UN official under fire for blogging truth in Sudan

Excerpt from VOA News 23 Oct 2006:

Pronk was ordered to leave Khartoum Sunday, after he posted an entry on his Internet weblog saying Sudan's armed forces had been badly beaten in two recent battles with rebels in Darfur, suffering heavy casualties. The entry reported troop morale had sunk, and several commanders had been fired.

The weblog has embarrassed U.N. officials. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric last Friday emphasized that the views expressed are Pronk's, and do not reflect those of the U.N. or Secretary-General Annan.

Dujarric Monday refused to characterize Pronk's departure from Khartoum as an expulsion. He said the envoy is returning for consultations, and retains Mr. Annan's full confidence.

He said, "The secretary-general has asked Mr. Pronk to come back, and Mr. Pronk will have discussions with the Secretary-General and other senior officials when he's here. But what needs to be clearly stated is that he continues to be the special representative of the secretary general in serving with the full support of the secretary-general in that capacity."

Pronk is a 66-year-old former Dutch Cabinet minister. He has been a powerful presence as Mr. Annan's special envoy, speaking frankly about the violence in Darfur, which the United States and others describe as genocide.

Pronk has sharply criticized Khartoum for allowing Arab militias known as janjaweed to carry out ethnic cleansing operations in the vast western Sudanese region. He has described internally displaced people in Darfur as "victims of Arab racism."

Pronk remains UN envoy to Sudan: spokesman

Excerpt from China's Xinhua 24 Oct 2006:

[Chief UN spokesman] Dujarric said Pronk had only been called to New York for consultations and would continue to serve as the special representative of the secretary-general. He said Pronk will arrive in New York Wednesday.

- - -

Excerpt from KUNA's news report 23 Oct 2006 - Annan's invitation to Pronk "temporary":

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Pronk remains Annan's special envoy for Sudan. Annan still has confidence in him. He was called in for consultations to review with him a letter the Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol Ajawin sent to him Sunday.

In that letter Ajawin said the government "is of the view that the purposes of realizing peace and stability can better be served by other international civil servants who are dedicated and ready to adhere to the objectives of the UN Charter, possess the ability and determination to respect international law and sensitive to the sovereignty and integrity of the nations in which they serve".

Therefore, the letter added, the government "remains committed and will cooperate" with Pronk's replacement.

Ha! Respect, sensitivity, integrity?!! The fact that they even contemplated the expulsion of Mr Pronk (head of UN mission in Sudan and great friend of Sudan) tells us they do not know the meaning of those words. Cretinous morons.

Pronk has Annan's full support: spokesman

Mr Pronk left Khartoum yesterday and will arrive in New York tomorrow for talks with Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General. A spokesman said last night that he had Mr Annan's full support. - Times 24 Oct 2006.

UN envoy does the right thing

Let us now praise UN envoys when they do the right thing. UN representative Jan Pronk is being expelled from the Sudan for telling the truth about its murderous activities on his blog (according to the Washington Post). Read more... by J Lewis of The American Thinker.com, 22 Oct 2006.

Diplomacy with Sudan over Darfur "not Dead": Analyst

Oct 23 2006 Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa report - Diplomacy With Sudan Over Darfur "not Dead": Analyst [via Playfuls.com] excerpt:

With the ongoing diplomatic tit-for-tat between Sudan and the international community, some observers have called for stricter measures to urge Khartoum to accept the UN mission.

Economic sanctions have been proposed, with the International Crisis Group, a conflict analysis think-tank, calling for the overseas assets of Sudanese legislators to be frozen. Human Rights Watch, a New-York based rights watchdog, did the same.

US condemns Sudan's expulsion of UN envoy

Oct 23 2006 The News - International:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday condemned Sudan's expulsion of a top United Nations envoy as "unfortunate in the extreme," and pledged to consult with UN chief Kofi Annan.

Sudan told Annan's special representative Jan Pronk to leave the country on Sunday, accusing him of overstepping his mandate.

"It is unfortunate in the extreme," Rice told reporters. The outspoken envoy acknowledged in a statement that he had been asked to leave. He said he would fly to New York Monday "for consultations" with Annan, two days ahead of the three-day deadline for his expulsion.

Pronk said he had a meeting Sunday with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Karti, who gave him a letter addressed to Annan informing him that the government considers the envoy's mission in Sudan "terminated".

UN's Jan Pronk in Sudan: The end of an insider's blog?

Excerpt from Andrew Stroehlein' commentary Oct 23, 2006 - Reuters AlertNet - Darfur: The end of an insider's blog?

"... But there has been something unique about Pronk's blog. While it hasn't been as casually written or as frequently updated as many bloggers' fare, it has provided a running log of a high-level diplomat's thinking quite unlike anything we have seen elsewhere. What other top envoy dealing with such delicate matters of conflict resolution regularly pens such an ongoing account and commentary?

Given the subject matter, it is fairly incredible that Pronk has managed to keep his blog going for nearly a year. If it disappears, those of us following Sudan will lose a valuable window into peace efforts there.

I hope Jan Pronk's blog does not disappear! It was unique and one of my favourites. Couldn't get a RSS feed into my newsreader but used to visit almost every day. I wonder what will happen now. Maybe Mr Pronk will manage to do just as much good from inside Europe.

Apart from feeling disgusted, I'm not sure what to think of the situation. Maybe some personal sanctions and travel bans on entering Europe and the US will now be in order - starting at the top of the Sudanese government, including family members AND rebel leaders. The thought of any of those people spending wads of money, travelling in style and enjoying a visit here in Europe makes feel sick. Bon voyage Mr Pronk. Hope to hear from you on the other side! Keep on blogging!!

UN envoy prepares Sudan exit after expulsion

Reuters report via ST - UN envoy prepares Sudan exit after expulsion - excerpt:

Described by a U.N. source as "somewhat bemused" Pronk cancelled his travel plans for the rest of the week and will head to New York on Monday following a summons from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He will not return.

Some observers questioned whether the expulsion was little more than political theater because Pronk, as Annan's political appointee, was likely to lose his position when Annan left the world body at the end of the year.

"Mr. Pronk ... his period is nearly finished so it is more political maneuver than genuine political action from the government," said el-Bagir.

Others said Pronk himself may have made a political move to "go out with a bang." Only three months earlier Pronk had similar problems with comments he wrote on his blog that changes needed to be made to the Darfur peace deal, signed in May by only one of three negotiating rebel factions.

"He is very savvy. He must have known what the government's reaction would be to this," said one diplomat who declined to be named. One U.N. source said Pronk had already been warned by U.N. headquarters in New York about his blog."

I loved Jan Pronk's blog and photos. I wonder what his next blog entry will say! I hope he waves a two fingered goodbye to Khartoum, when he's safely in the air.

South Sudan slams move, deepening unity govt rift

Oct 23 2006 AFP report via Gulf Times:

The autonomous government of southern Sudan yesterday denounced Khartoum's expulsion of UN envoy Jan Pronk, deepening rifts in Sudan's unity government formed after a north-south peace deal last year.

The Government of Southern Sudan said it had not been consulted on Pronk's expulsion, which it said was a "wrong decision" that could worsen deteriorating conditions in the troubled western Darfur region.

And it said the move could hurt the federal administration, created in 2005 between Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's ruling National Congress Party and the south's ex-rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).

"It is a wrong decision and it is taking Sudan more and more to the brink of confrontation with the international community," said Yasser Arman, the spokesman for the southern Sudanese government.

"More importantly, it will aggravate the situation in Darfur rather than looking for solutions in partnership with the international community," he said. "Expelling Jan Pronk will not resolve the issue at hand, meaning Darfur."

Arman, speaking from south Sudan's capital of Juba, complained the southern partners had not been consulted on a matter that directly relates to its signing of the January 2005 peace deal with Khartoum.

"Jan Pronk came to Sudan as a result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement," he said, referring to the accord that ended Sudan’s 21-year north-south civil war. "The government should have consulted the SPLM before expelling him."

"The worrying situation is that there is a growing tendency in the National Congress Party to undermine the CPA," Arman said, urging an immediate ceasefire in Darfur and co-operation between Khartoum and the international community.

Under the terms of the north-south accord, which ended what was then Africa’s longest-running conflict, the SPLM/A was given positions in the Khartoum government, including the post of first vice president and foreign minister.

But the two sides have since argued over numerous issues, including Darfur, where the government of south Sudan supports the deployment of UN peacekeepers and Khartoum is vehemently opposed.

The north-south war claimed at least 1.5mn lives and displaced some 4mn people.

Sudan dictatorial shift and Pronk's expulsion

Oct 23 2006 ST Sudan Tribune Editorial - excerpt:

Nowadays, Sudan is not ruled by a political party, Sudan is governed by one man and his generals.

For Khartoum it is a question of the survival of a dictatorial regime, for us it is the realization of peace and democratic transition in the country.

Darfur NRF denounces UN Pronk expulsion

Oct 23 2006 ST NRF Press Statement - Expelletion of Jan Pronk Gives Way for Albahsir's Chemical Warfare in Darfur - excerpt:

The NRF strongly denounces the callous decision of the Government of Sudan to expel UN Envoy Jan Pronk from Sudan. It is not a simple coincidence that this decision has been made at the very moment when the new offensive of the Khartoum regime in Darfur has been launched.

I was thinking the same, and about a similar thing that happened a while ago to the UN's Jan Egeland. Note the rebels have taken the opportunity to spread word of wmd's.

Pronk leaving for New York to consult with Annan

Los Angeles Times excerpt:

Pronk could not be reached Sunday for comment. An aide, Sajin Khan, confirmed the expulsion order and said that he would have a response after Pronk had consulted with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In New York, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Pronk had been asked to come to New York for the consultation, the Associated Press reported.

Darfur rebels say militias attack villages

Reuters report via ReliefWeb - excerpt:

"The Janjaweed attacked villages in Nena yesterday and raped two girls ... aged 16 and 18," said Jar el-Naby, a rebel commander in North Darfur.

"Government troops are also mobilising in this area, and we are prepared for an attack," Naby said.

Nena is about 100 kilometres northwest of el-Fasher, Darfur's main town. Janjaweed, derived loosely from the Arabic for devils on horseback, are militias accused of a campaign of rape, pillage and murder which Washington calls genocide.

Khartoum denies genocide and any links to Janjaweed, calling them bandits.

One African Union source confirmed the heavy build-up of troops around the area in North Darfur, which has seen fighting between the rebels and government over the past few months.

Rights group Amnesty International said in a press release that thousands of civilians in neighbouring eastern Chad had fled cross-border Janjaweed attacks.

"The new wave of attacks across the Chad/Sudan border started on 3 October and have continued since then," Amnesty said in a press release on Saturday. "Dozens of people have been killed and some 3,000 have fled in the past week." It called on the Chadian government to deploy more troops along the long and porous border until U.N. peacekeepers deployed in Darfur.

Sudanese army has succeeded in removing a man who spoke openly about the government's continuing role in atrocities (BBC)

Oct 23 2006 BBC report - UN envoy prepares to leave Sudan - excerpt:

The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, is expected to leave the country after being ordered out by the government.

The expulsion was ordered after Mr Pronk wrote in his blog that Sudan's army had suffered defeats in the Darfur region and its morale was low.

Mr Pronk's relations with the Sudanese government were shaky before this row.

Sudan's government had given Mr Pronk until midday Wednesday to leave, but UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has recalled him to New York for consultations.

'Creating problems'

It was Mr Pronk's comments on his personal website that angered the Sudanese government.

"Morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down," he wrote. "Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight."

He said the Sudanese army had lost two major battles recently to rebel groups in the western region and that Arab militias - who have been accused of atrocities - were being mobilised in violation of UN resolutions.

The army led calls for Mr Pronk's expulsion, calling his remarks psychological warfare.

Junior Foreign Minister Sammani al-Wasila told the BBC that Mr Pronk had strayed beyond his mandate and lost his neutrality.

"It is not his right to comment," he said. "His role as personal envoy to the secretary general means he should be neutral to help solving problems, rather than creating problems."

Darfur conflict

Britain has condemned Mr Pronk's expulsion and urged Sudan to reconsider.

"This step is counter-productive and will contribute nothing to solving the problems of Sudan," said Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman.

In Brussels, European Union spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said: "The presence of the United Nations is vital to hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Darfur region."

Sudan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ali Karti, told the BBC that it was Mr Pronk, not the UN, that was the problem.

"It is not the United Nation's activities in Sudan," he said. "They are welcome."

'No free voices'

There was also opposition to the move within Sudan.

"It is a wrong decision which is going to worsen the situation of Darfur instead of solving it," said Yasser Arman, the spokesman for the southern Sudanese government.

And Khalil Ibrahim, a senior member of the rebel National Redemption Front, told Reuters news agency the decision came from the army.

"They don't want to leave any free voices in Sudan," he said.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher says that although in theory there is a coalition government in Khartoum, this episode has illustrated just how strong the military remains.

Their pride hurt by Mr Pronk's comments, the Sudanese army has succeeded in removing a man who spoke openly about the government's continuing role in atrocities, our correspondent says.

Annan reviewing Sudan's request for withdrawal of UN envoy

Via POTP - Sudan expels UN official for blog revealing Darfur military defeats / Annan reviewing Sudan's request for withdrawal of UN envoy - spokesman:

By Warren Hoge of the New York Times

Sudan's government ordered the chief United Nations envoy out of the country today [Sunday], saying he was an enemy of the country and its armed forces.

Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he was reviewing the letter from the Khartoum government and had requested the envoy, Jan Pronk, to return to New York for "consultations."

The Sudanese order said he had to leave by Wednesday. United Nations officials confirmed he would depart before then.

Mr. Pronk, a blunt-spoken former Dutch cabinet minister, has been outspoken in reporting on the killings, rapes and other atrocities in Darfur, the region in the western part of Sudan where 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes.

He has become increasingly pointed in his comments because of the rise in violence across the area despite a May peace accord between the Sudanese government and a major rebel group, and because of the government's refusal to grant permission for a new United Nations force to take over peacekeeping in the country from the overstretched African Union.

Mr. Pronk is known as a forceful presence at the United Nations from his frequent appearances before the Security Council, where he characteristically delivers unflinching accounts of the continuing mayhem and political breakdowns in Sudan in a rhetorical style that includes finger-jabbing and dramatic pauses for emphasis.

Sudan's action against him was apparently provoked by an entry he made in his personal blog - www.janpronk.nl - last weekend that said Sudan's armed forces had suffered two major defeats with extensive casualties against rebels in Darfur in the past six weeks. He also reported that generals had been cashiered, that morale had sunk and that the government had collaborated with the feared Janjaweed Arab militias, which are held responsible for pillaging villages and killing and raping their residents.

The Sudanese armed forces on Thursday cited the blog entry in calling Mr. Pronk a threat to national security and asking that he be expelled.

The fact that one of its top officials has put sensitive findings in a personal blog has embarrassed the United Nations and put its officials in an awkward position. When the matter arose Friday, United Nations officials resisted rebuking Mr. Pronk for the practice for fear that it would appear to be a vote of no confidence in the mission, rather than just in his professional lapse.

Questioned repeatedly on Friday over whether the United Nations stood by the statements in Mr. Pronk's blog, Stephane Dujarric, Mr. Annan's spokesman, said, "Those views are expressed by Pronk, are his personal views."

Mr. Dujarric indicated that this was not the first time a problem with Mr. Pronk's blog had come up. "There have been a number of discussions with Mr. Pronk regarding his blog and the expectation of all staff members to exercise proper judgment in what they write in their blogs," he said.

In a statement distributed by the official Sudanese news agency today, the country's Foreign Ministry accused Mr. Pronk of demonstrating "enmity to the Sudanese government and the armed forces" and of involvement in activities "that are incompatible with his mission."

The activity in question was apparently a trip that Mr. Pronk made into Darfur to make direct contact with rebels.

In a blog entry on Oct. 14, Mr. Pronk wrote that losses by the Sudanese armed forces in two recent battles "seem to have been very high. Reports speak about hundreds of casualties in each of the two battles with many wounded and many taken prisoner."

"The morale in the government army in North Darfur has gone down," the blog entry continued. "Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight. The government has responded by directing more troops and equipment from elsewhere to the region and by mobilizing Arab militia."

Victor Tanner, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advance International Studies who returned from Sudan a week ago, said the blog's references to defeats suffered by the Sudanese army had caused a furor there.

"Comments on the disarray that seemed to be reigning within the Sudanese armed forces was an amazing thing to see in the blog of a U.N. official," he said. "Refreshing but wild."

"That the armed forces had suffered these losses was something that everybody was talking about as a rumor swarming around Khartoum and Darfur, but it took on a new reality and became 'the truth' when it was uttered in print by Pronk."

In Washington, the State Department said it was withholding comment until it learned more from Khartoum about the incident.

Amnnesty International in New York said it "condemns in the strongest terms" the ouster of Mr. Pronk. "By declaring Mr. Pronk persona non grata, Khartoum has once again demonstrated heinous dispassion toward the well-being of its own citizens," the organization said.

In London, the Foreign Office also denounced the Sudanese move and called for it to be reversed. "This step is counter-productive and will contribute nothing to solving the problems of Sudan," said Lord David Triesman, a foreign office minister. "I call upon the government of Sudan to reconsider its decision."

In what has become a tense standoff with the United Nations, Sudan has adamantly refused to accept the deployment of 22,000 United Nations soldiers and police officers despite public outcries over the increasing danger to the residents of Darfur.

The force, called for in a Security Council resolution on Aug. 31, would replace the 7,200-member African Union force that has admitted it does not have the resources to curb the violence in Darfur. In light of Sudan’s defiance, the African Union agreed a month ago to strengthen the force and extend its presence in Sudan until Dec. 31.

Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has characterized the United Nations plan as an American-inspired plot to recolonize his country and plunder its oil, and he has threatened to attack any soldiers sent to Darfur.

At the United Nations in September, Mr. Bashir said the reports of deaths and displacements in Darfur were "fictions" spread by international aid groups and Jewish organizations to raise money to benefit Israel.

And commenting on the international campaign that has arisen to try to end the violence in Darfur, he said, "Those who made the publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably are Jewish organizations."

From the UN News Service...

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has requested his senior envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, to come to New York for consultations after the country's Government officially requested his withdrawal today [Sunday].

On Friday, a UN spokesman was asked about comments on Mr. Pronk's blog as well as reports that Sudan was declaring him persona non grata. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the views expressed on the blog were personal, and that the Government had presented no official request concerning Mr. Pronk.

Today, in a statement released in New York, the spokesman said Mr. Annan had this morning received a letter from the Government of Sudan requesting Mr. Pronk's withdrawal.

"The Secretary-General is reviewing the letter and has, in the meantime, requested Mr. Pronk to come to New York for consultations," Mr. Dujarric said.

A profile feature from SAPA/AFP...

United Nations envoy Jan Pronk, who has been ordered to leave Sudan after he criticised the government's handling of the Darfur crisis, is a veteran diplomat with a direct approach.

An international diplomat for most of his working life, the 66-year-old is an example of a UN envoy who is not afraid to speak his mind and get emotionally involved in his work.

Since the former Dutch minister of development aid was appointed UN envoy for Sudan in 2004, his relations with Khartoum have been difficult.

Pronk has openly called Sudan a "police state" and said refugees in Darfur were victims of "Arabic racism".

In an interview in March in Dutch news magazine Vrij Nederland, Pronk said he was not worried about a possible backlash.

"The most important thing is that all parties see us as impartial... I say harsh things to the Sudanese government but also to the rebels," he explained.

The final straw was Pronk's personal weblog entry of October 14 that said that the Sudanese army had suffered major losses and that the army was working with militias linked to the Janjaweed, a pro-government militia accused of gross abuses against ethnic minority civilians in Darfur.

During his political career in the Netherlands, Pronk has always stood out as a man of principles in a political landscape dominated by pragmatism and consensus.

An economist, Pronk started his political career as a member of parliament for the PDVA labour party in 1971. In 1973 he became minister of development cooperation a post he held in three different cabinets, the last from 1994 until 1998.

Between the 1970s and 2002 he held a variety of Dutch political posts and spent six years as deputy secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.

Observers says Pronk's direct style may have been a contributing factor in naming him the UN envoy to Sudan. He is often credited with keeping the crisis there high on the international agenda.

God bless Mr Pronk and keep him well. He deserves a medal.