Burkina Faso’s military junta has expelled the United Nations’ top official, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, declaring her persona non grata over her involvement in drafting a UN report that highlighted widespread child rights violations in the country’s ongoing jihadist conflict.
The report, published in March, documented over 2,000 cases of children being recruited, killed, sexually abused, or exploited between 2021 and 2023. Responsibility was attributed to Islamist insurgents, government forces, and civilian defense groups.
The junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, rejected the findings, claiming it had not been consulted and dismissed the allegations as “unfounded,” arguing they lacked supporting documentation or court rulings.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been engulfed in a brutal insurgency led by groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. The worsening insecurity has fueled political instability, with two coups taking place in 2022.
Traoré, who seized power in September 2022, initially promised to resolve the crisis within months. However, violence has escalated, with jihadist group JNIM claiming more than 280 attacks in the first half of 2025 double the number recorded in the same period of 2024.
Rights organizations have accused both insurgents and state forces of targeting civilians, while the junta has also been criticized for cracking down on political opposition and restricting free expression.
Flore-Smereczniak, a Mauritian national with over 20 years of experience in conflict and post-conflict regions across Africa, was appointed in July 2024, replacing Italian Barbara Manzi, who was also expelled by the junta in late 2022 after publishing a blog on the humanitarian crisis.
The UN has not yet issued an official response to the latest expulsion. However, Secretary-General António Guterres previously expressed regret over the expulsion of Manzi and reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting the Burkinabé people.
Despite mounting security concerns, the junta has extended its rule for five more years and confirmed that Capt Traoré will be eligible to contest the presidency in 2029, as he continues to build a strong image as a pan-Africanist leader.
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