Sudan has expelled European and Canadian diplomats in a move that could strain relations with the West over the conflict in Darfur.
An envoy from the European Commission and a Canadian diplomat have been informed by Sudan that they are considered persona non grata because they interfered in Sudanese affairs.
The Sudanese foreign ministry said Khartoum is working hard not to let the incident hamper ties with the EU or Canada, although Khartoum has often had strained relations with Western diplomats.
In October 2006, it expelled a United Nations envoy for criticising its actions during the more than four-year conflict in Darfur.
In the United States, the White House said it hoped the expulsion of the two diplomats was not an attempt to sidetrack international efforts to halt the violence in Darfur.
The General Secretary of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, is expected to travel to Khartoum early next month to arrange the details of the deployment of up to 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur, a region in the west of Sudan.
