UN SOMALI ENVOY RESIGNS

The United Nations special representative for Somalia, Mohammed Sahnoun, resigned his post Oct. 26 following a dispute with UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali over his outspoken criticism of UN activities, diplomats and UN sources said. But they said the resignation offer had not yet been accepted.

Mr. Sahnoun, a former Algerian ambassador to Paris, Washington, and Bonn, was appointed in late April to oversee the UN's Somalia operations, including relief efforts and peace negotiations.

Other diplomats said France, the United States, and Britain were looking for ways to make Sahnoun reverse his decision.

UN sources said Mr. Boutros-Ghali, responding to complaints from UN relief agencies, objected to Sahnoun's public criticism that the UN had moved too late to save thousands of Somalis from starvation.

Sahnoun has said that UN relief agencies were initially too bureaucratic to mount a major operation to distribute humanitarian supplies.