Khartoum - Sudan has rejected Washington's appointment of a special envoy to Khartoum, calling it unacceptable, state radio reported yesterday. The United States said 10 days ago it had appointed the former Florida congressman, Mr Harry Johnston, as its special envoy to Sudan with a brief to highlight what it called its appalling human rights situation and its humanitarian needs, and to promote an existing peace process.
"The way the envoy was appointed was not proper. It did not recognise the legitimacy of the country. It is unacceptable," state Radio Omdurman quoted the Culture and Information Minister, Mr Ghazi Salahuddin, as saying in Khartoum's first reaction.
The minister said all three mandates given to the envoy had been adequately dealt with by Khartoum, and wondered what Mr Johnston was really assigned to do.