Burkina Faso says Carol Flore-Smereczniak is no longer a “credible interlocutor” in its cooperation with the global body
Burkina Faso’s government has declared United Nations resident coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak “persona non grata” after a report by the global body accused jihadist groups and national forces of abusing children in the West African nation.
The UN document, released in April, recorded 2,483 “grave violations” against 2,255 children between July 2022 and June 2024, including their recruitment as fighters, sexual abuse, and attacks on hospitals and schools. Of these cases 20% (501) were attributed to the Burkinabe Defense and Security Forces and their allies.
In a statement on Monday, the government said it is “outraged by the total contempt shown towards the Burkinabe authorities” in the compilation of “baseless assertions and untruths.” Ouagadougou said the report was drafted without its participation and accused Flore-Smereczniak of “unilaterally” confirming “information without legally acceptable evidence and submitted it to such a strategic body as the UN Security Council.”
“The government informs national and international opinion that Ms. Carol Flore-Smereczniak, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, is declared persona non grata in the territory of Burkina Faso,” the statement said.
Ouagadougou said it will continue cooperating with the UN on security and humanitarian issues but deemed Flore-Smereczniak “no longer a credible interlocutor.”
The statement did not indicate when the UN official must leave Burkina Faso, where she has served as resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator since her appointment in July 2024.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the organization regrets the former French colony’s decision.
“The Organization is accorded privileges and immunities, including the right for its staff members to remain in Burkina Faso in order to perform their functions on behalf of the Organization,” Dujarric said on Monday.
Burkina Faso and its neighbors Mali and Niger have been fighting a deadly jihadist insurgency for more than a decade. The three Sahel states have cut defense ties with Western powers, including France, accusing the former colonial ruler of aggression and criticizing its troops for failing to quell the violence despite more than a decade of involvement.
