Burkina Faso takes action against UN representative over critical report
The military-led government in Burkina Faso has declared the UN’s top representative in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, persona non grata following the release of a damning UN report on child rights violations. This marks the second time in three years that the junta has expelled a senior UN official, underscoring its growing resistance to independent oversight.
UN report highlights grave violations against children
Carol Flore-Smereczniak was accused by the junta of being involved in compiling the April report, which details the devastating impact of armed conflict on children in Burkina Faso. The government dismissed the findings, which implicated state forces, allied militias, and Islamist armed groups in widespread abuses.
The report documented 2,483 grave violations affecting 2,255 children between July 2022 and June 2024. These included killings, abductions, and the recruitment or use of minors by armed factions and security forces. Islamist armed groups were responsible for 65% of the violations, while Burkina Faso’s security forces and civilian auxiliaries, known as the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP), accounted for the remainder.
Among the most alarming trends was the sharp rise in attacks on schools and the unlawful detention of children suspected of ties to armed groups. These findings align with extensive documentation by Human Rights Watch, which has highlighted persistent abuses against boys and girls since 2016, including assaults on students, teachers, and educational institutions.
Junta escalates criticism of UN interventions
Relations between the Burkina Faso junta and the United Nations have deteriorated in recent months. In March, the Foreign Minister condemned the UN’s use of terms like “non-state armed groups” to describe terrorist factions and referred to the VDP as “militias.” In July, the government called for a realignment of UN operations in the country, demanding that they align with the junta’s own strategic vision.
Since seizing power in a 2022 coup, the military leadership has intensified crackdowns on media outlets, political opposition, and dissenting voices. Rather than addressing the documented abuses, analysts argue that Burkina Faso should engage constructively with the UN to develop and implement a comprehensive action plan to protect children in conflict zones.
