Mark Smith, a senior British diplomat, resigned from the Foreign Office over the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel and said the government’s actions are complicit in war crimes being committed in Gaza.
Middle East Monitor reported that his resignation letter was entitled “FCDO complicity in War Crimes.”
Highlights
- Mark Smith worked at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office for almost 3 years and 8 months but resigned on August 16, 20204.
- He spent over 14 years at the Department for International Development (DFID).
- He earned about 80,000 annually at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
Mark headed the Africa Programmes and Expertise Department and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
He tried to address his concerns in office through an official whistle-blowing investigation, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
He felt sad about resigning from a long career in the diplomatic service but couldn’t continue his duties because he knew his department might be complicit in War Crimes.
There is no justification for the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel, yet somehow it continues.
Mark Smith expressed.
Mark’s role as a subject matter expert in the domain of armed sales policy questioned the UK’s claims of having a robust and transparent arms export licensing system.
However, his concerns were disregarded.
Senior Diplomat Mark Smith’s Net worth Has Been Growing Significantly
Mark had a remarkable career in diplomatic service but formally resigned on August 16, 2024. He worked at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office for almost 3 years and 8 months.
He was the Head of the Centre for Delivery in January 2021 and became the Head of the Africa Programmes and Expertise Department in February 2024.
Mark spent over 14 years at the Department for International Development (DFID).
He joined as a Governance Adviser in the African regional department in October 2006 and became head of the Better Delivery Department in July 2017.
Unfortunately, Mark Smith’s net worth for 2024 isn’t readily available. He earned about 80,000 annually at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
He has successfully maintained a borderline between his personal and professional life.
Thus, there isn’t much information regarding her family origin, wife, and children. He is likely in his mid-30s.
London granted export licenses for arms deals to Israel worth 576 million pounds ($740m) between 2008 and the end of 2023.
Additional Information
- Dr. Iain Overton, Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence, commented on Mark’s resignation, saying, “It takes immense courage to stand up against a system complicit in the suffering of civilians.”
- British news outlets reported that the new Labour government suspended the processing of arms export licenses for sales to Israel earlier this month.
- Hind Hassan, a journalist who has worked with VICE News, Aljazeera, and Sky News, posted Mark’s resignation letter on Twitter.
