Sudan Moves to Expel UN Humanitarian Coordinator Zaatari: Source

In early December, media reported that UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan Zaatari had allegedly insulted the country and its government in an interview, saying that Sudanese people could not do without international aid. The UN envoy also reportedly criticized Sudan's President Omar Bashir for ruling the country "with an iron first".

KHARTOUM, December 25 (Sputnik) — Sudanese authorities on Thursday demanded that United Nations' humanitarian coordinator in the country Ali al-Zaatari leave Sudan, a source in the Sudanese Foreign Ministry told the Sputnik news agency without specifying the motives.

The United Nations is still to comment on this claim, which comes less than a month after the Jordan-born UN resident coordinator in Sudan got into a row over his interview with Norway's newspaper Bistandsaktuelt.

In early December, the state-run Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) reported that Zaatari had allegedly insulted Sudan and its government in an interview with the Norwegian paper, where he said the people of Sudan could not do without international aid and the situation in the country was worsening.

The UN envoy also reportedly criticized Sudan's President Omar Bashir for ruling the country "with an iron first". Zaatari later denied making such harsh statements, saying his comments were mistranslated from English to Norwegian.

In 2009, the International Criminal Court accused Bashir of war crimes and genocide against Sudan's non-Arab minorities. The conflict sparked in the Darfur region in 2003 after local tribes accused the government of discrimination.

On December 13, the Hague-based court decided not to pursue the charges against President Bashir and shelved his case.