The Sudanese military has declared the UN special envoy to the country persona non grata, accusing him of "waging war against the armed forces".

The general command accused Jan Pronk, UN chief Kofi Annan's personal representative in Sudan, of "openly intruding in the armed forces' affair".

The decision is the latest escalation in a war of words between Khartoum and the international community.

The Sudanese military considers the envoy's presence and movements in Sudan "a military threat that adversely affects the performance of the armed forces and (he) has therefore become a persona non grata," a statement said.

It complained that the envoy had traveled around Sudan without government permission and dealt with rebel groups fighting the military in the western region of Darfur.

It also accused Pronk of "waging psychological warfare on the armed forces by propagating erroneous information that casts doubts about the capability of the armed forces in maintaining security and defending the country."

Photo Caption

Jan Pronk, UN chief Kofi Annan's personal representative in Sudan