Despite “famine,” al-Burhan’s authority expels the World Food Programme from Sudan

A new crisis is facing the Port Sudan authority led by Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, after an official decision was issued to expel senior staff from the World Food Programme (WFP) office in Sudan, despite the urgent need for the UN agency’s efforts and aid to fight famine in a country torn by war since mid-April 2023.

Official expulsion order

Sudanese “Radio Dabanga” revealed that the Foreign Ministry affiliated with the Port Sudan authority summoned “the country director and the head of operations at the World Food Programme in Sudan, informed them that they were persona non grata, and forced them to leave within 72 hours at the latest.”

The Foreign Ministry of the Port Sudan authority refused to respond to questions from local media about the reasons for expelling WFP officials at a time when its efforts are badly needed. The Programme, for its part, commented on the decision, saying it “threatens operations that support millions of vulnerable people in Sudan,” and confirmed it is in contact with the authorities to protest the measure and request clarification.

In a statement, the Programme said it “is in contact, along with senior UN officials, with the relevant authorities to protest the official decision issued by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry and to obtain clarifications about it,” noting that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Programme officials of the decision and asked them to leave without providing any explanation.”

The statement pointed out that “the decision to expel the country director and the emergency coordinator comes at a critical moment, as humanitarian needs in Sudan are now greater than ever; more than 24 million people are facing acute food insecurity, and some communities are suffering from famine.” The UN agency stressed that the expulsion decision forces it to make “unplanned changes in leadership, which puts at risk operations that support millions of vulnerable Sudanese, at a time when they are facing severe hunger and malnutrition and are at risk of starving to death.”

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry had disclosed its decision to remove WFP leaders after it summoned the representative of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Gemma San Martín, and informed her of its objection to a report published by OCHA on humanitarian work on 23 October, “in objection to the publication of incorrect information about the efforts of the Port Sudan government to facilitate relief activities,” according to a statement published by “Sudan Tribune” quoting the Port Sudan Foreign Ministry.

This comes at a time when the United Nations has repeatedly warned of the danger of famine threatening Sudan. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed that the humanitarian crisis is worsening because of the war, saying that “Sudan is suffering from a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions, while food security has deteriorated to its worst levels in the country’s history.”

Ms. Wosornu, Director of Advocacy and Operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, had said in statements published on the official UN website: “The humanitarian situation in Sudan and the unprecedented scale of needs require an unprecedented mobilization of international support.”

Relief and food-aid distribution teams in Sudan are facing risks. A convoy belonging to the World Food Programme was shelled in Darfur on 20 August, and the UN agency’s spokesperson, Gift Watansasthorn, said: “Three out of 16 trucks in a convoy of life-saving relief supplies were hit, caught fire, and were damaged,” while the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the time issued a statement saying what happened was “a war crime” committed by the Sudanese army.

Aid in al-Fashir

 In the same context, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti,” head of the Presidential Council of the Tasis (Ta’sis) Alliance, ordered that aid be allowed in to civilians in the al-Fashir area after they had suffered for months from aid being cut off and the difficulty of obtaining essential food and relief items.

In an official address on 30 October, Hemedti said that “investigation committees have arrived in al-Fashir and have already begun their work to publicly and immediately hold to account any soldier or officer who committed violations.” He said that RSF forces would leave al-Fashir after it is fully secured and cleared of mines left by the Sudanese army and extremist militias allied with it, and then hand it over to the federal police of the Tasis government. At the same time, he ordered the release of all detained civilians wherever they are and the immediate, unrestricted freedom of movement for all civilians.

Hemedti stressed that his forces would continue to fight “terrorist groups and extremist organizations supported by states that sponsor terrorism, after Islamist extremists chose war,” and he noted that the Tasis Alliance “does not reject peace; we are for peace and genuine democratic justice through negotiation.”

The Rapid Support Forces succeeded in securing the al-Fashir area and granting citizens freedom of movement so that life could return to normal after months of being effectively imprisoned and not allowed to leave the gates on orders from Sudanese army soldiers and members of extremist militias cooperating with the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to the “Darfur 24” website.

Read also: Tragic plane crash claims multiple Hungarian lives on paradisiacal journey – videos, updated