Burkina Faso's junta has expelled the UN's top official in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, in response to a report about children affected by the jihadist conflict.
Flore-Smereczniak, who played a role in drafting the March report, was declared "persona non grata" by the military government. The report, covering a two-year period, documented over 2,000 cases of child recruitment, killings, sexual violence, and abuse, implicating Islamist insurgents, government forces, and civilian defense groups.
The junta, led by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré since a September 2022 coup, stated that it was not consulted on the report and rejected its allegations, claiming the UN failed to provide supporting evidence.
Burkina Faso has faced escalating violence since 2015, with jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS intensifying attacks. Political instability has led to two military coups in 2022, with Traoré promising to address security concerns quickly. Flore-Smereczniak, who was appointed in July 2024, replaces the previous UN official expelled in December 2022.
The junta has also refused military support from former colonial power France, opting instead for assistance from Russia. In the first half of 2025, jihadist group JNIM claimed responsibility for over 280 attacks, double the number from the same period in 2024.
Rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of civilians and the suppression of political freedoms under Traoré’s rule, which was extended last year for another five years. Traoré is also set to run for president in 2029.