In a surprise move reflecting growing tensions between the Sudanese government and the United Nations, Prime Minister Kamil Idris has dismissed Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Hussein Al-Amin from his post, just days after the latter ordered the expulsion of World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director Laurent Bukera and Operations Manager Samantha Katraj, giving them 72 hours to leave the country.
The government’s decision followed a wave of international criticism, most notably from the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Republican caucus, which urged Sudanese authorities to immediately reverse the expulsions and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access to those in need, warning that continued escalation would worsen the humanitarian catastrophe threatening millions of civilians.
Government sources said the prime minister expressed “deep anger” over what he viewed as an unsanctioned move by the deputy minister made without coordination with the executive leadership. He reportedly instructed Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem to order Al-Amin to vacate his office immediately—a move seen as an effort to contain the fallout both domestically and internationally.
The dismissed official defended his decision, saying the UN representatives had “exceeded their mandate and violated the country’s sovereignty,” citing official reports that the two had celebrated the fall of El Fasher in North Darfur—an act the authorities deemed “a blatant breach requiring immediate expulsion.”
Journalist Altahir Satti revealed in his column “In Our Suspicious House” that the expulsion order was issued while the foreign minister was visiting Washington. According to his report, Al-Amin implemented the move unilaterally, prompting the prime minister’s swift and direct order for his dismissal.
Attempting to defuse speculation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation denied on Friday that there was any internal crisis linked to the dismissal, describing media reports as “false rumors.” Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Jamal Malik stated that government decisions are made in full coordination across state institutions and within the administrative hierarchy, calling on the media to “verify information carefully and avoid spreading baseless claims regarding foreign policy.”
