20091201

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy to the United Nations sharply criticized Khartoum on Monday over a U.N. report that accused the Sudanese army of harassing and threatening international peacekeepers in Darfur.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his latest report on the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, known as UNAMID, that limits on the freedom of movement of UNAMID personnel violated an agreement with Khartoum on their deployment and made it difficult to protect civilians.

"The United States is particularly concerned about ... the secretary-general's report of some 42 instances in which UNAMID personnel and patrols have been denied freedom of movement and access," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters after a meeting of the Security Council on Sudan.

"These quite directly and seriously contravene the terms of the Status of Forces Agreement the government of Sudan has committed to," she said.

"It impedes UNAMID's ability to protect civilians and do its vital work. It is utterly unacceptable, as are the threats by the government of Sudan against UNAMID."

Sudan's Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem dismissed the events described in Ban's report as a "few isolated incidents."

He also contradicted Ban's characterization of the security situation in Darfur. Ban said violence continues across Sudan's remote western region of Darfur and civilians remain at risk from both government and rebel forces.

"There has been a halt to fighting and an improvement of security in Darfur," Abdalhaleem said.