Earlier this week, the military leadership in Burkina Faso ordered the expulsion of the United Nations’ highest-ranking resident official, Carol Flore-Smereczniak. She was declared “persona non grata” following the release of a UN report documenting severe human rights violations against children in the country.

Carol Flore-Smereczniak is the second major UN figure to be ousted by the junta, following the 2022 expulsion of Barbara Manzi. This pattern underscores the military government’s increasing intolerance for independent international oversight.

A spokesperson for the junta claimed that Carol Flore-Smereczniak was involved in producing the April report, which details the devastating effects of the armed conflict on Burkina Faso‘s youth. The government has rejected the findings, which implicate national authorities, pro-government militias, and Islamist insurgent groups in the abuses.

The investigation identified 2,483 grave violations affecting 2,255 children between July 2022 and June 2024. These atrocities include killings, kidnappings, and the recruitment of minors into armed ranks. While Islamist groups were responsible for 65 percent of the documented cases, the report also attributes violations to the Burkina Faso security forces and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), civilian auxiliaries who support the military.

The findings also pointed to a worrying rise in attacks on educational facilities and highlighted the “detention of children due to their alleged association with armed groups” as a major concern. Human Rights Watch has frequently documented violence against students, teachers, and schools by all parties involved in the conflict since 2016.

Tensions between the UN and the junta have been mounting for months. In March, the Foreign Minister criticized the UN for using terms like “non-state armed groups” to describe terrorists and for calling the VDP “militias.” By July, the ministry demanded that UN interventions be “refocused” to better align with the leadership’s strategic vision.

Since seizing power in a 2022 coup, the military authorities in Burkina Faso have consistently suppressed the media, political opposition, and activists. Rather than attempting to hide these violations, the junta is being urged to cooperate with the United Nations to develop a roadmap for ending the violence.