EU trying to ‘resolve’ envoy expulsion with Sudan

24 August 2007 (BRUSSELS) — The European Commission said Friday it was trying to “sort out” a situation with Sudanese authorities following the expulsion of its top envoy in Khartoum, but gave no details as to any alleged wrongdoing.

“All I can say on this subject at the moment is that we have received some indication from the Sudanese government that our head of delegation is no longer welcome in Sudan,” said Commission spokeswoman Antonia Mochan.

“”We are now trying to sort out with the Sudanese authorities how we can settle this matter,” she told reporters in Brussels.

Sudan expelled EU head of mission Kent Degerfeld and Canadian charge d’affaires Nuala Lawlor on Thursday for “interfering in its affairs,” a move that could further strain relations with the West over the conflict in Darfur.

Sudanese Minister of State Ali Karti said the two diplomats had been holding what the government regarded as unacceptable contacts with opposition leaders.

Mochan said that Degerfeld, a Swede who has worked in EU development aid offices for several years, was currently on holiday and not in Sudan when the expulsion letter was received at the British diplomatic mission.

A charge d’affaires is currently in charge there, she added.

“I really can’t go into the details of this,” she said when pressed by reporters.

“All I can say is we are trying to resolve the situation and at this stage I am not really prepared to go into any detail”.

(AFP)