Ouagadougou, August 19, 2025 – Burkina Faso’s military government has declared the United Nations’ top representative in the country “persona non grata” after a UN report accused Burkinabe forces of committing violations against children during operations against armed groups.

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The junta accused UN resident humanitarian coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak of authoring the March report, which it described as containing “unfounded allegations” against the country’s defense and security forces. As a result, it ordered her to leave Burkina Faso.

“This report, which resembles a compilation of baseless assertions and falsehoods, contains no appendices with copies of investigation reports or court rulings to support the alleged cases of violations against children attributed to the valiant Burkinabe fighters,” the government said.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the organization “learned with regret” of the junta’s decision and emphasized that it had no legal basis. “The United Nations system, led by the resident coordinator, has been dedicated to working with the authorities to support development efforts and provide much needed humanitarian assistance,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told AFP.

He added that “the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations officials” and that “only the secretary-general, as the chief administrative officer of the organisation, has the authority to decide, after careful investigation, with respect to the withdrawal of any United Nations official.”

Flore-Smereczniak, a Mauritian national appointed in July 2024, had previously drawn criticism from Burkina Faso’s authorities in February for using the neutral terms “non-state armed groups” and “militias” instead of the government’s preferred label, “terrorists.”

The expulsion marks a further escalation in tensions between Burkina Faso’s junta and international organizations amid ongoing conflict with armed groups.

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