The military junta in Burkina Faso declared the United Nations coordinator in the country, Italian Barbara Manzi, “persona non grata” and “asked to leave the country” on Friday.
Although the reason for the expulsion was not stated initially, Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba later accused Manzi of painting a negative picture of the security situation in Burkina Faso, which has been grappling with a violent Islamist insurgency since 2015.
Rouamba on national television said Manzi “predicted chaos in Burkina Faso in the next few months.” He also alleged that she had unilaterally recommended the evacuation of some U.N. staff and their families from the capital Ouagadougou.
“She discredited the country and discouraged potential investors,” Rouamba said, noting the government’s “big efforts” towards improving security.
The spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Saturday that it learned “learned with regret” about Burkina Faso’s decision and expressed “full confidence… in Ms. Manzi’s commitment and professionalism”,
“The doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations officials,” he added.
“Only the Secretary-General… has the authority to decide, after careful investigation, with respect to the withdrawal of any United Nations official.”
The expulsion of expatriates is becoming characteristic of military administration in West Africa. In July, Burkina’s neighbour Mali also caught up in a serious security crisis, expelled Olivier Salgado, the spokesman for the United Nations Mission in Mali (Minusma).