Sudan blasts UN’s Pronk statement on ability to host AU summit

Nov 23, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the statements made by the UN secretary general’s representative to Sudan, Jan Pronk, in which he doubted Sudan’s capability and capacity to host the forthcoming AU summit which is expected to be held in January 2006.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was not his main jurisdiction or concern according to assignment decisions made by the Security Council.

In a press statement, the official spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim, said “no international or regional side has the right to affect the AU’s evaluation of allowing Sudan to host the forthcoming summit”.

He affirmed that the Foreign Ministry rejected to these kinds of statements, saying that it would pass its views to the UN secretary general’s representative and warn him that he had over exceeded the limits of his mission and duty according to the resolutions of his assignment.

On the other hand al-Watan daily newspaper Condemned on its Editorial Pronk’s statement and asked the government to “throw him out of our country immediately because this nation will not be insulted through statements which offend our history and future.”

“What is the government waiting for after what Pronk said ? Is it waiting for people to go out in the streets, attack the UN HQs and issue Pronk a final exit visa while the government looks on?” the editorial said.

(ST)