Sudan summons refugee officials over graft, dismissal claims

July 9, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s interior minister on Wednesday summoned top officials from the state’s refugee commission for an urgent meeting to address claims of widespread corruption, unfair dismissals and improper hiring that have dogged the agency since the war began in 2023.

The Interior Ministry is set to review the Commission for Refugees’ performance amid reports of large-scale administrative violations by senior staff, according to reports published by Sudan Tribune in March and April 2025.

The officials summoned to Khartoum include acting Commissioner Abu Bakr Ali Saleh, Director of State Affairs Bashir Mohamed Ahmed, and Director of Financial and Administrative Affairs Maher al-Zubair, the report said. The three officials reportedly travelled from Port Sudan on Tuesday.

The meeting will focus on allegations of improper appointments and staff transfers that violated a cabinet decree, the sources said.

Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, the commission has faced turmoil, including the dismissal of approximately 30 employees without cause, according to sources who spoke to Sudan Tribune.

The dismissed employees filed a complaint and later won a case at the Administrative Court in Port Sudan, which ordered their reinstatement and payment of their financial dues.

The inquiry follows a previous acting commissioner, Mohamed Yassin al-Tohamy, who ordered a comprehensive administrative inspection of all employee qualifications in late June.

An earlier investigation committee, formed by the former interior minister to examine violations at the commission, has yet to submit its report.