Burkina Faso expelled a top UN official for “discrediting the country”

The top U.N. official of Burkina Faso was ejected from the country on Friday without giving a reason, but a senior Burkinabe diplomat said it was because she tried to “discredit the country” by organizing the departure of U.N. families due to deteriorating security.

The UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator, Barbara Manzi, was told by Burkina Faso’s Foreign Affairs ministry on Friday that she is not welcome in the country and must leave right away.

One of the world’s poorest nations, Burkina Faso, has been plagued by al-Qaida and Islamic State-related violence that has killed thousands and displaced almost 2 million people, escalating a humanitarian crisis. This year, there have been two military coups because people didn’t trust the government to stop the violence.

Senior Burkinabe diplomats told VOA’s Bambara Service that Manzi sought to start removing relatives of U.N. employees in an effort to harm the military government’s reputation.

The senior diplomat confirmed that senior Burkinabe officials concur with Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba’s comments that Manzi’s “unilateral” decision to start evacuating families of U.N. employees is “discrediting the country, discouraging potential investors, and even tarnishing the image of the country.”

Rouamba claims to have “a note from [Manzi] that states the case of the evacuation of the families of the ambassadors of the United Nations system from Ouagadougou for security concerns” in the show from Friday.

Rouamba claimed that “the decision was made unilaterally.” In addition to these facts, [Manzi] prophesied that Burkina Faso would be in disarray soon. We are unsure of how she is going to achieve it. The evidence is overwhelming because she freely travels to [the North] and returns whenever she pleases, although even our defense and security forces are unable to make such a trip. She publicly admitted to us that she is in contact with terrorist leaders in Burkina Faso.

She also forbade representatives from the 33 United Nations agencies from collaborating with us.

The decision was not immediately followed by a statement from the UN.

Sam Mednick of The Associated Press reports that Manzi, who was named U.N. Resident Coordinator in August of last year, frequently visited areas of the nation that were severely affected to try to raise awareness about the worsening humanitarian catastrophe. The native of Italy has a wealth of experience with the UN, having led the organization’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Ukraine, and Myanmar. She served as the resident coordinator in Djibouti before moving to Burkina Faso.

In the midst of a government crackdown on the foreign community, Manzi has been expelled. Two French nationals were removed from the country last week on suspicion of espionage, and earlier this month, Radio France Internationale was halted by the authorities for allegedly broadcasting an “intimidation message” ascribed to a “terrorist.”

The north and east of the country in West Africa have seen the most of the violence over the past seven years, which has severely harmed local businesses, contributed to widespread hunger, and made it difficult for humanitarian agencies to access the area.

The United Nations offers certain crucial services, such as providing meals for thousands of undernourished children. According to certain assistance organizations, the decision to remove Manzi is concerning and will make it more difficult for humanitarian agencies to function.

This article first appeared in the VOA Bambara Service. The Associated Press and Reuters have contributed some information.