More than 180,000 people have died in Darfur since 2004, mostly from hunger and disease linked to fighting between rebels and government soldiers. The government also has been accused of unleashing bands of so-called janjaweed militias to kill civilians in campaign U.S. officials call genocide.
Sudan's government-controlled news agency today characterized Pronk's recent activities and comments as "incompatible with his mission" and an "enmity to the Sudanese government and the armed forces." The Sudanese government said it would be willing to work with Pronk's replacement, should a new envoy be dispatched, according to the state-run news agency.
On his Internet blog earlier this month, Pronk, 66, criticized the government for violating U.N. resolutions that ban armed mobilizations in the region and wrote of heavy losses by Sudanese troops in recent battles.
"The morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down," Pronk wrote Oct. 14. "Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight."
The remarks infuriated Sudanese military officials, who demanded an apology.Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
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On his Internet blog earlier this month, Pronk, 66, criticized the government for violating U.N. resolutions that ban armed mobilizations in the region and wrote of heavy losses by Sudanese troops in recent battles.
"The morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down," Pronk wrote Oct. 14. "Some generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight."
May well be a helping hand in holding back the Sudanese government in its reactionary campaignes against non-compliant Sudanese citizens, including Southern Sudanese. The statement above is testament to the fact that, notwithstanding the Sudanese government's upper hand in military hardware, the southern Sudanese and other dissidents are not passive by any means. Just get the Chinese to get onboard to zero in on the Sudanese government, their defiance towards mounting international pressure will loosen quite a bit.
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
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