U.N. says Burkina Faso has no grounds to expel senior official

FILE PHOTO: People ride bicycles and motorcycles on a street in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, September 17, 2015. REUTERS/Joe Penney/

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - The United Nations on Saturday said Burkina Faso had no grounds for ordering senior U.N. official Barbara Manzi to leave the country and that the doctrine of "persona non grata" could not be applied to her.

Burkina Faso's military government on Friday put out a statement instructing Manzi, appointed U.N. resident coordinator last year, to leave the West African country with immediate effect.