Burkina Faso junta declares UN coordinator persona non grata over child rights report
Dakar, Senegal (AP) – The military junta in Burkina Faso said on Monday that the United Nations Coordinator Carol Flore -Smereczniak as “persona non grata” on an official United Nations report which accused jihadist groups and government abuse forces against children.
In a statement, the government accused Flore -Smereczniak of participating in the preparation of the report – entitled children and armed conflicts in Burkina Faso – which, according to him, is “without proof or documentation in support” and which has transmitted “serious and false information”.
The UN was approached for comments.
The report was published in April and accused jihadist groups and government forces of abuse against children, including their recruitment of soldiers, sexual abuse and attacks against hospitals and schools.
Covering the period between July 2022 and June 2024, he said that 2,483 serious violations against 2,255 children had been verified, including some children victims of multiple violations
Flore-Smereczniak was appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres in July 2024 as a resident coordinator of the organization in Burkina Faso as well as by the humanitarian coordinator.
In a statement at the time, the UN said that the appointment had been made “with the approval of the host government”.
Burkina Faso, as well as its neighbors, Niger and Mali, have had an insurrection led by jihadist groups for more than a decade, including certain allies in Al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
After the military kicks in the three countries in recent years, the junots in power have expelled the French forces and turned to the units of mercenaries of Russia for security assistance.
But the Sahel’s security situation has worsened since the Juntas took power, according to analysts, with a record number of attacks and civilians killed by Islamic activists and government forces.
In 2023, the head of the UN Human Rights Office called for an investigation into killings of at least 28 people, which local human rights groups accused volunteer militias supporting the Burkina Faso army.
