Sudan’s military government has ordered two senior officials from the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) to leave the country, amid a devastating civil war that has led to widespread famine.
The WFP has expressed deep concern over the expulsion, which comes at a critical time when humanitarian needs in Sudan have never been greater, with over 24 million people facing acute food insecurity.
The decision to declare the WFP directors “personae non grata” and order them to depart within 72 hours was made without explanation.
However, the military government has previously accused aid groups of breaking local laws and releasing misleading reports on famine conditions.
The expulsion comes as the conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalates, with the RSF recently capturing the key city of el-Fasher in Darfur.
The city, which was under siege for 18 months, has been subjected to intense fighting, and reports of atrocities, including mass killings, have been mounting.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is dire, with millions of people displaced, and many more struggling to access basic necessities like food and water.
The WFP has been working tirelessly to provide aid to those in need, but the expulsion of its officials is likely to exacerbate the crisis.
The international community has expressed alarm over the situation, with the European Union and African Union calling for calm and restraint. The situation in Sudan bears eerie similarities to the region’s darkest days, when the Janjaweed militia was accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
