Escalating Conflict in Sudan: Military Forces Out UN Food Officials

Thu Oct 30 2025 10:37:54 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Amid a severe famine fueled by ongoing civil war, Sudan's military government has expelled top UN food aid officials, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The Sudanese military has declared two senior officials from the UN's World Food Programme as 'personae non grata', ordering their expulsion just days after significant territory was captured by paramilitary forces in the region. The move comes at a critical moment when food insecurity is affecting over 24 million people in Sudan. Despite the military's claims that this action won't hinder cooperation with the WFP, the humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate.

Sudan's military government has ordered two senior officials at the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) to leave the country amid widespread famine sparked by a gruelling civil war that erupted in April 2023.

The WFP said directors of its Sudan operation were declared personae non grata and told to go within 72 hours, without explanation.

The decision comes days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), captured the key city of el-Fasher in Darfur from the military after an 18-month siege, which included a food blockade.

The WFP said the expulsions came at a pivotal time as humanitarian needs in Sudan had never been greater with more than 24 million people facing acute food insecurity.

Although the military government has not given a reason for the expulsions, it has previously accused aid groups of breaking local laws and releasing misleading reports on famine conditions.

The government said the expulsion will not affect the country's cooperation with the WFP, state news agency Suna reported.

The WFP says it is engaging with Sudanese authorities to resolve the matter.

Two-and-a-half years of fighting between the army and the RSF escalated on Sunday, when the RSF seized el-Fasher in the western region of Darfur.

There are now fears for the fate of the estimated 250,000 people in the city, many from non-Arab communities. Reports of atrocities, including mass-killings, have been mounting since the city fell.

The situation in el-Fasher is extremely dire and there are violations taking place on the roads, including looting and shooting, with no distinction made between young or old, one man who managed to escape el-Fasher told the BBC Arabic's Sudan Lifeline programme.

Since the conflict erupted, RSF fighters and allied Arab militia in Darfur have been accused of targeting people from non-Arab ethnic groups - allegations the RSF denies.

International bodies such as the European Union and African Union have expressed alarm, while locals say the current situation is reminiscent of the region's darkest days.

Sudanese-American poet Emtithal Mahmoud, who has family in el-Fasher and lost relatives in the previous Darfur conflict, expressed her view that a genocide is occurring again as evidenced by footage being shared on social media.

The RSF denies targeting civilians.