Burkina Faso declares UN envoy persona non grata over critical report

The military junta in Burkina Faso has declared the United Nations’ top representative in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, persona non grata following the release of a critical UN report on child rights violations.

This decision marks the second time in recent years that a high-ranking UN official has been expelled from Burkina Faso. In 2022, Barbara Manzi faced a similar fate, highlighting the junta’s growing intolerance toward independent oversight.

UN report triggers diplomatic fallout

The junta has accused Flore-Smereczniak of contributing to a controversial April report that documents severe child rights abuses amid Burkina Faso’s ongoing armed conflict. Authorities have dismissed the report’s findings, which implicate government-backed forces, allied militias, and Islamist armed groups in widespread violations.

The report details 2,483 grave violations against 2,255 children between July 2022 and June 2024, including killings, abductions, and the recruitment of minors by armed factions. Islamist groups were responsible for 65% of these abuses, while state security forces and civilian defense auxiliaries—known as Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP)—accounted for the remainder.

Key concerns raised in the report include a surge in attacks on schools and the arbitrary detention of children suspected of ties to armed groups. Since 2016, Human Rights Watch has documented similar abuses, including targeted violence against students, teachers, and educational institutions.

Junta escalates criticism of UN interventions

Relations between the junta and the UN have deteriorated in recent months. In March, Burkina Faso’s foreign minister condemned the UN’s use of terms like ‘non-state armed groups’ to describe terrorist entities and labeled the VDP as ‘militias’, calling such language inappropriate.

In July, the government requested that the UN ‘refocus’ its operations in Burkina Faso to align with the country’s leadership vision. Since seizing power in a 2022 coup, the military regime has systematically suppressed dissent, media freedom, and political opposition.

Rather than suppressing critical reports, experts argue that the junta should collaborate with international bodies to develop actionable solutions, such as the UN’s Children and Armed Conflict Action Plans, to address and prevent child rights violations.