Burkina Faso ousts UN coordinator over child conflict report
Burkina Faso has declared United Nations regional coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak persona non grata following the publication of a UN report alleging serious violations against children in the country’s protracted conflict.
In a statement released on Monday, the Burkinabe government said authorities were neither consulted during the preparation of the report, titled ‘Children and Armed Conflict in Burkina Faso,’ nor briefed on its conclusions prior to publication.
Officials accused the UN of making “baseless assertions and falsehoods” without relying on relevant investigations or court rulings.
The decision has effectively forced Flore-Smereczniak, who was appointed to the post in 2024, to leave the country.
With over two decades of experience in development, humanitarian and post-conflict work, her expulsion underscores growing tensions between the transitional government and international partners.
Reacting to the move, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed regret, stressing that the organisation and its staff are accorded privileges and immunities to operate within member states.
He reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to continue engaging Burkinabe authorities to support the nation and its people.
The disputed report forms part of the UN’s global monitoring mechanism on children in conflict zones.
In recent years, the organisation has repeatedly condemned killings, abductions and the recruitment of child soldiers across the Sahel, where extremist violence linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State has surged.
Burkina Faso, along with neighbouring Mali and Niger, has experienced worsening instability following a series of coups between 2020 and 2023. The government in Ouagadougou maintains that national sovereignty must be respected as it battles insurgency and grapples with humanitarian challenges.
