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| UN envoy prepares to leave Sudan | UN envoy prepares to leave Sudan |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 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 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. | 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. | Mr Pronk's relations with the Sudanese government were shaky before this row. |
| Sudan is resisting strong international pressure to allow UN peacekeepers in to try to end the conflict in Darfur. | Sudan is resisting strong international pressure to allow UN peacekeepers in to try to end the conflict in Darfur. |
| The expulsion has been strongly criticised by the former rebels from south Sudan, who joined the national government following a peace deal last year. | The expulsion has been strongly criticised by the former rebels from south Sudan, who joined the national government following a peace deal last year. |
| 'Creating problems' | 'Creating problems' |
| 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. | 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. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY One of the main reasons the Sudanese government will not accept UN peacekeepers is that they believe the UN has chosen sides in the dispute David Zimlin, Florida, US Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY One of the main reasons the Sudanese government will not accept UN peacekeepers is that they believe the UN has chosen sides in the dispute David Zimlin, Florida, US Send us your comments |
| But the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says there is no guarantee that he will get a sympathetic reception. | But the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says there is no guarantee that he will get a sympathetic reception. |
| Mr Pronk's personal website is well known among UN officials and they have repeatedly asked him to stop writing it, our correspondent says. | Mr Pronk's personal website is well known among UN officials and they have repeatedly asked him to stop writing it, our correspondent says. |
| "Morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down," he wrote. "Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight." | "Morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down," he wrote. "Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight." |
| JAN PRONK 1940 - Born in The Hague, Netherlands1971 - Elected as Dutch MP1985 -1986 Assistant UN secretary general1998 - Dutch environment minister2001 - Chairman of UN climate conference in Bonn, worked to secure agreement on Kyoto protocol2002 - Special UN envoy to World Summit on Sustainable Development in Tokyo2004 - UN special representative for SudanMarried with two children Sudan resists world pressure | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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." | "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 | Darfur conflict |
| Britain has condemned Mr Pronk's expulsion and urged Sudan to reconsider. | 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. | "This step is counter-productive and will contribute nothing to solving the problems of Sudan," said Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman. |
| In Brussels, EU spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said: "The presence of the United Nations is vital to hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Darfur region." | In Brussels, EU spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said: "The presence of the United Nations is vital to hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Darfur region." |
| More than 200,000 people are thought to have died and two million have been displaced as a result of the three-year conflict in Darfur. | More than 200,000 people are thought to have died and two million have been displaced as a result of the three-year conflict in Darfur. |
| See which parts of Darfur are too dangerous for aid workersEnlarge Map | See which parts of Darfur are too dangerous for aid workersEnlarge Map |
| The UN Security Council has passed a resolution calling for 20,000 troops to be sent to Darfur to replace the 7,000 poorly equipped African Union troops, who have failed to end the conflict. | The UN Security Council has passed a resolution calling for 20,000 troops to be sent to Darfur to replace the 7,000 poorly equipped African Union troops, who have failed to end the conflict. |
| But Sudan has said it will not allow UN peacekeepers on its territory, calling it a bid to restore colonial rule. | But Sudan has said it will not allow UN peacekeepers on its territory, calling it a bid to restore colonial rule. |
| 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. | 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." | "It is not the United Nation's activities in Sudan," he said. "They are welcome." |
| 'No free voices' | 'No free voices' |
| There was also opposition to the expulsion 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. | "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. | 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. | "They don't want to leave any free voices in Sudan," he said. |
| Our correspondent says that although in theory there is a coalition government in Khartoum, this episode has illustrated just how strong the military remains. | Our correspondent says that although in theory there is a coalition government in Khartoum, this episode has illustrated just how strong the military remains. |