Burkina Faso's junta has expelled the UN's top official to the West African nation over a report about children caught up in the militant conflict. Carol Flore-Smereczniak was declared "persona non grata" because of her role in drafting the report that came out in March. Covering a two-year period, the study detailed more than 2,000 cases of reported child recruitment, killings, sexual violence and abuse — blaming insurgents, government soldiers and civilian defense forces. The military government, which came to power in September 2022 and is led by Capt Ibrahim Traoré, said it had not been consulted by the UN, saying the report contained unfounded allegations. It did not cite any documentation "or court rulings to support the alleged cases of violations against children attributed to the valiant Burkinabé fighters", the government's statement said. Since 2015, rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged an insurgency that has killed thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes. It has prompted political instability, with two military coups in 2022. Capt Traoré took power promising to deal with the dire security situation within "two to three months". Ms Flore-Smereczniak was appointed in July 2024 — more than 18 months after her predecessor was expelled. From Mauritius, she has worked in areas experiencing or recovering from conflict for more than two decades, holding posts in Ivory Coast, Chad and Malawi, according to the UN. The UN representative before her, Italian Barbara Manzi, was declared "persona non grata" by the junta in December 2022 not long after publishing a blog post describing how the crisis was affecting education and health services, forcing many to close down. The UN has not yet officially commented on the latest expulsion, but the UN chief had expressed his regret over the decision to expel Ms Manzi whilst reiterating the UN's desire to engage with the junta to support Burkinabés. There have been concerns over the effectiveness of Capt Traoré's operation to quash the militants — with the junta rejecting the assistance of former colonial power France in favor of Russia. In the first half of 2025, militant group JNIM said it had carried out over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso — double the number for the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBC Rights groups have also accused the army of targeting civilians as well as suppressing political activity and the freedom of expression. Last year, the military government announced it was extending junta rule for another five years. It also said that Capt Traoré, who has built up the persona of a pan-Africanist leader, would be allowed to run for president in 2029. — BBC
