The Sudanese government has ordered the top United Nations envoy, Jan Pronk, to leave the country. Pronk has been a vocal critic of the government for committing atrocities in Darfur. Last week Pronk revealed on his personal blog that the Sudanese armed forces had suffered two major defeats with extensive casualties in Darfur in the past six weeks. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry accused Pronk of lying.

• Sudanese government spokesperson Ali Sadiq: “We appreciate the cooperation with the United Nations and we are willing to further advance this cooperation with another person who might be named by the secretary general who is ready to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Sudan.”