Ms. Dame Rosalind Marsden has been reported in the past two days to either have been deported, denied entry visa, denied residency permit extension, or expelled. News reports have also incorrectly characterized her relationship with the UNITAMS and the United Nations in Sudan.

Ms. Marsden is a senior expert working with the UN in Sudan and has been a senior consultant to the UN in Sudan since July 2021. In this capacity, she has been supporting on a series of integrated peacebuilding assessments, intended to help UN Agencies and partners design and prioritize needs for support at the state level and Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) implementation and monitoring.

We were glad to have Dame Rosalind’s assistance to this activity, given her deep knowledge of Sudan and effective international networks. She is a former British Ambassador and former EU Special Representative to Sudan.

It is disappointing that after considering the application for many weeks, the authorities have chosen not to renew her residency visa. The decision is unfortunate especially given the recent request of the Sudanese authorities for UNITAMS and its partners to devote more attention to support for peacebuilding and mobilizing resources for many priority activities.