Burkina Faso Expels Top UN Official Over Child Conflict Report

The military junta has expelled the UN’s top official, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, over a report about children caught up in the jihadist conflict. Flore-Smereczniak was declared “persona non grata” because of her role in drafting the March report.

The report revealed more than 2,000 cases of child recruitment, killings, sexual violence, and abuse attributed to Islamist insurgents, government soldiers, and civilians. The military government, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, said the UN had not consulted and that the report contained unfounded allegations.

According to the government’s statement, there was no documentation to support the alleged cases of child abuse committed by Burkinabé fighters. Flore-Smereczniak was appointed to replace her predecessor, who had been expelled since July 2023.