In one of the deadliest weeks of Sudan’s 2.5-year civil war, the government has expelled two of the World Food Programme’s top officials, dealing a blow to humanitarian operations as reports of mass killings emerge from Darfur in the country’s west.
“The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) confirms that the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed us that two of our top leaders in Sudan have been designated as persona non grata, and asked to leave the country within 72 hours, without any explanation,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday. The two expelled leaders are Country Director Laurent Bukera and Head of Operations Samantha Katraj.
WFP warned that the decision jeopardized its operations and food assistance to millions of Sudanese already facing extreme hunger, malnutrition, and starvation. The Sudanese government, through its state-run news agency, claimed the expulsions stemmed from unspecified violations undermining the agency’s neutrality but said the decision did not reflect on WFP’s broader relationship with Sudan.
About the author
Ayenat Mersie
Ayenat Mersie is a Global Development Reporter for Devex. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as National Geographic and Foreign Policy and as an East Africa correspondent for Reuters.
