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UN official expelled from Darfur | UN official expelled from Darfur |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Authorities in Sudan's South Darfur province have expelled the head of the United Nation's humanitarian operations, Wael al-Haj Ibrahim. | |
He was accused of unspecified rule violations. The United Nations has deplored the expulsion. | He was accused of unspecified rule violations. The United Nations has deplored the expulsion. |
A UN spokeswoman expressed concern about the potential ramifications of this decision. | A UN spokeswoman expressed concern about the potential ramifications of this decision. |
The UN plays an important role in co-ordinating assistance to up to 1m internally displaced persons. | |
Mr Ibrahim, a Canadian national, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nyala, South Darfur, "had been forced to leave" by provincial authorities, OCHA spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said. | Mr Ibrahim, a Canadian national, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nyala, South Darfur, "had been forced to leave" by provincial authorities, OCHA spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said. |
She said South Darfur's Governor, Ali Mahmood Mohammed, asked Mr Ibrahim in a letter to leave because "he was not complying with the rules of humanitarian action." | She said South Darfur's Governor, Ali Mahmood Mohammed, asked Mr Ibrahim in a letter to leave because "he was not complying with the rules of humanitarian action." |
The OCHA said the expulsion violated the letter and spirit of the agreement it had with the authorities. | The OCHA said the expulsion violated the letter and spirit of the agreement it had with the authorities. |
Growing tensions | Growing tensions |
Mr Ibrahim's expulsion comes against a background of rising tension between humanitarian organisations and the authorities in Darfur, the BBC's Martin Plaut reports. | Mr Ibrahim's expulsion comes against a background of rising tension between humanitarian organisations and the authorities in Darfur, the BBC's Martin Plaut reports. |
Late last month the UN witnessed troops and police rounding up refugees from a camp on the outskirts of Nyala. | Late last month the UN witnessed troops and police rounding up refugees from a camp on the outskirts of Nyala. |
Around 1,000 refugees were forced onto trucks at gunpoint and driven into the night. | Around 1,000 refugees were forced onto trucks at gunpoint and driven into the night. |
According to a human rights organisation, the Aegis Trust, they were dumped on the outskirts of the city and have ended up living with friends and relatives. | According to a human rights organisation, the Aegis Trust, they were dumped on the outskirts of the city and have ended up living with friends and relatives. |
Mr Ibrahim - as the head of the UN's humanitarian operations in Nyala - objected to the forced relocation. | Mr Ibrahim - as the head of the UN's humanitarian operations in Nyala - objected to the forced relocation. |
But most have nowhere to go, and fear attacks if they leave the relative security of the camps, our correspondents says. | But most have nowhere to go, and fear attacks if they leave the relative security of the camps, our correspondents says. |
Few have decided to accept the offer of voluntary return and the Aegis trust is describing attempts to close the camps as a further ethnic cleansing of Darfur's African population, he adds. | Few have decided to accept the offer of voluntary return and the Aegis trust is describing attempts to close the camps as a further ethnic cleansing of Darfur's African population, he adds. |
Some 200,000 people are estimated to have died and more than two million displaced during the four-year war which has ravaged Darfur. | Some 200,000 people are estimated to have died and more than two million displaced during the four-year war which has ravaged Darfur. |
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