Sudan expels UN agency chief for meddling

Sudanese government has expelled a senior United Nations official on accusation of meddling in its internal affairs.

Sudanese officials say Pamela DeLargy, head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Sudan, was expelled for not observing Sudan’s laws.

“I would … like to confirm that this move has nothing to do with the UNFPA whose missions and programmes are very much appreciated by my government,” Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Abubakr al-Siddiq said on Wednesday.

DeLargy was one of very few Americans working for the UN in Sudan. She was sent on a mission to Darfur in western Sudan, which has been hit by severe unrest.

Tens of thousands of people there, have been displaced or affected by clashes in the region since late February.

The senior Sudanese Foreign Ministry official, however, hoped that the UN will soon send a replacement for DeLargy to the violence-wracked region.

“Sudan will be more than happy to receive a replacement for DeLargy, and will extend to him or her all the necessary assistance and cooperation within the framework of our national laws and agreements that govern relations between the Sudan and UN agencies,” al-Siddiq said.

The government in Khartoum also suspended the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross on February 1 for violating its work guidelines in Sudan.