DAKAR, Senegal — Burkina Faso’s government expelled the country’s top UN official on Friday and asked her to leave immediately, authorities said.
Barbara Manzi, a resident and United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the West African nation, has been declared persona non grata, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Burkina Faso has been rocked by violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people, creating a growing humanitarian crisis. Lack of faith in the government’s ability to stop the violence has led to two military coups this year.
While no reason was given in the statement for his expulsion, Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba said on state television on Friday that Manzi had raised the alarm about insecurity in the capital, Ouagadougou, without providing evidence.
“She claimed that she has information from reliable sources without agreeing to give any proof,” Rouamba said. He also said Manzi told him she was in contact with “terrorist leaders” and questioned how Manzi was able to easily access the besieged city of Djibo in the Sahel region while the country’s security forces could not.
Manzi, who was appointed UN Resident Coordinator in August last year, often traveled to the hardest-hit parts of the country to try to raise awareness of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis. The Italian native has extensive experience with the UN, working as head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine, Iraq, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Before Burkina Faso, he was the resident coordinator in Djibouti.
The United Nations did not immediately comment on the decision. Diplomats in Burkina Faso said they were taken by surprise, according to a Western official who was not authorized to speak to the media.
Manzi’s expulsion comes amid a government campaign against the international community. Last week, two French nationals were expelled from the country on espionage charges, and earlier this month the government suspended French broadcaster Radio France Internationale for having broadcast an “intimidation message” attributed to a ” terrorist,” according to a statement from the board.
The decision to expel Manzi is a worrying sign and will make it harder for humanitarian groups to function, aid organizations say.
“The abhorrent decision to designate UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator Barbara Manzi as a PNG (persona non grata) is a sign that this dangerous trend line is not only continuing under the current regime, but is getting worse,” said Alexandra Lamarche, lead researcher. in Refugees International.
“Over the years, these types of intimidation tactics have attempted to force aid groups not to report on the true scope of the crisis or the role of the government and national security forces in perpetuating violence against civilians. , force them and feed humanitarian needs.” she said.
