A Sudanese diplomatic envoy in Norway has been expelled from the Scandinavian country for allegedly spying on refugees.
Officials from the Norwegian Police Security Service told the media on Tuesday (9 October) that they had been tipped by a Sudanese national residing in Norway under refugee status. The information led to the arrest of the 38-year-old diplomat by the country’s intelligence agency, PST.
Kjetil Elsebutangen said on behalf of the foreign ministry in Oslo that his organization had been in contact with the Sudanese embassy’s charge d’affair regarding the ordeal. Meanwhile, the African nation’s ambassador to Norway, Onoor Ahmed, has denied allegations that the unnamed diplomat was spying on refugees, according to a report issued by the NRK news agency.
Mr Elsebutangen said in a statement, “He was told that we consider the diplomat’s activities incompatible with his status as a diplomat under the protection of the Vienna convention and [that the diplomat] is therefore asked to leave the country,” Reuters reports.
PST officials have declined to comment on the matter.