Annan Retains Confidence in Sudan Envoy

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, File) (Abdel Raouf - AP)

UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan still has full confidence in his top envoy to Sudan who was ordered to leave the country after accusing the army of violating U.N. resolutions in the war in Darfur, the U.N. spokesman said Monday.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Jan Pronk, Annan's special representative in Sudan for over two years, left Khartoum because he was recalled for consultations at Annan's request rather than to comply with the government's order.

On Sunday, the government gave Pronk three days to leave after he accused the Sudanese army of mobilizing Arab militias in the Darfur region following heavy losses in recent fighting with rebels.

Pronk flew out of Khartoum Monday night and was expected to arrive in New York late Wednesday for meetings with Annan and other senior U.N. officials, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

Meanwhile, Annan spoke to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday morning, and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Hedi Annabi met Sudan's U.N. ambassador Monday afternoon to discuss the government's letter to the secretary-general requesting Pronk's withdrawal, she said.

"What needs to be clearly stated is that he continues to be the special representative of the secretary-general and serving with the full support of the secretary-general in that capacity," Dujarric said. "We are recalling him back for consultations. As far as we are concerned, his status has not changed."

Asked whether the secretary-general has full confidence in Pronk, Dujarric replied, "Yes he does."

Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, the current Security Council president, said the council will wait to hear what the secretary-general has to say.

"Depending upon his reaction to it, the Security Council may have to be briefed and consider some possible action if that is necessary," he told the Associated Press.

The order for Pronk to leave heightened a dispute between the U.N. and the Khartoum government over peacekeeping in conflict-wracked Darfur province. Sudan has refused to allow U.N. peacekeepers to replace a poorly equipped African Union force that has been unable to halt escalating violence in the vast western region.

The outspoken Pronk, a former Dutch politician and diplomat, leveled the accusation about the Sudanese army in his personal blog.

In a posting Oct. 14, Pronk said Sudan's military had suffered heavy losses in recent fighting with rebels in northern Darfur.