Top Officials Of WHO Kicked Out Of Burundi

Burundi's foreign ministry on Friday declared the representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the country "persona non grata" and ordered them to leave the country. 

In the letter to WHO, Burundi said it would be removing top officials of the WHO Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo and other officials like Burundi's coronavirus coordinator,  Dr Jean Pierre Mulunda Nkata; Head of communicable diseases, Dr Ruhana Mirindi Bisimwa; and a lab expert, Professor Daniel Tarzy.

Commenting on the letter, WHO's Africa Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said, “Late yesterday afternoon I was made aware through a note verbale about this decision of the government of Burundi which has asked our WHO representative and three other persons, one of whom is a consultant … to leave the country immediately."

“We are in communication with the government of Burundi to clarify and understand the reasoning behind this decision they have taken. We are in the meantime then working to organise the departure of our staff.”

READ ALSO: WHO: 89 COVID-19 Vaccines Under Development Globally

The letter sent to the WHO did not supply a reason for the sacking of the officials.

However, top sources say that the same move by the country's government to expel WHO officials from Burundi had been blocked by the foreign ministry about a month ago.

Speaking under anonymity, a Burundian official said that the removal of the official was because the staff of the WHO were interfering in the country's management of the pandemic.

“They are expelled and the health minister has totally excluded WHO, accusing it of unacceptable interference in its management of the coronavirus."

The move by the Burundi government has been described as "unfortunate" by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stating that in this dire time, Burundi, with a weak health system could not afford such luxury.

Director of the centre, John Nkengasong, said, “We are in dire need of technical expertise as a continent, which has a very weak health system and fragile infrastructure, where we don’t have the luxury of kicking out WHO."