Sudan’s military government has ordered the expulsion of two senior officials from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) amid a severe famine exacerbated by ongoing civil conflict that began in April 2023. The WFP confirmed that its directors in Sudan were declared “personae non grata” and instructed to leave within 72 hours, although no specific reason was provided for this decision.
This action follows the takeover of the strategic city of el-Fasher in Darfur by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which managed to gain control after an 18-month siege that included a food blockade. The WFP has stated that humanitarian conditions in Sudan are at their worst, with over 24 million individuals facing acute food insecurity. Despite the expulsions, the government has claimed that its cooperation with the WFP will not be affected.
The military government has previously accused aid organizations, including the WFP, of violating local laws and disseminating misleading information regarding famine conditions. The WFP is currently in discussions with Sudanese authorities to seek a resolution to the matter.
The conflict between the army and RSF escalated recently, raising concerns for the estimated 250,000 residents of el-Fasher, many of whom belong to non-Arab communities. Reports of violence, including looting and shooting, have emerged since the city fell. A man who escaped the city described the dire situation, noting that many have fled to Tawila, a town that already hosts a large number of displaced individuals.
The RSF and affiliated Arab militias have faced allegations of targeting non-Arab ethnic groups, which they have denied. Local activist groups have accused the RSF of executing wounded individuals at a hospital in el-Fasher. Satellite imagery analyzed by researchers at Yale University appears to support these allegations. International bodies have expressed concern regarding the situation, which some locals liken to past humanitarian crises in the region, particularly during the Darfur conflict from 2003 to 2020.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yp2v4n1d5o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss