Burkina Faso announces UN coordinator ‘persona non grata’

2025-08-20 03:32:43

(MENAFN) Burkina Faso has declared United Nations resident coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak “persona non grata” following a UN report accusing jihadist groups and national forces of abusing children. The April report documented 2,483 “grave violations” affecting 2,255 children between July 2022 and June 2024, including recruitment as fighters, sexual abuse, and attacks on schools and hospitals. Around 20% of the cases were linked to Burkinabe Defense and Security Forces and their allies.

The Burkinabe government criticized the report as biased and compiled without its input, accusing Flore-Smereczniak of submitting unverified information to the UN Security Council. While Ouagadougou affirmed continued cooperation with the UN on security and humanitarian issues, it said Flore-Smereczniak is no longer a credible interlocutor.

The UN expressed regret over the decision, noting that staff enjoy privileges and immunities to perform their duties. Burkina Faso, alongside Mali and Niger, has faced a long-running jihadist insurgency and has cut defense ties with Western powers, including France, citing failures in addressing regional violence.

MENAFN20082025000045015687ID1109951334

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.