Burkina Faso’s military government has expelled the United Nations’ top official in the country, declaring her persona non grata over a damning report on child rights violations in the ongoing jihadist conflict.

Carol Flore-Smereczniak, a Mauritian appointed in July 2024, was forced out for her role in drafting a UN report published in March that documented more than 2,000 cases of child recruitment, killings, sexual violence, and abuse between 2021 and 2023. The findings implicated Islamist insurgents as well as Burkina Faso’s own soldiers and civilian defense groups.

The junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré since a September 2022 coup, rejected the report as “unfounded,” saying it had not been consulted. In a statement, the government said the study lacked documentation or court rulings to substantiate allegations against what it called the “valiant Burkinabé fighters.”

This marks the second expulsion of a senior UN envoy in less than three years. Flore-Smereczniak’s predecessor, Italian Barbara Manzi, was expelled in December 2022 after writing about the humanitarian toll of the conflict on education and health services.

Burkina Faso has faced escalating violence since 2015, when militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State began an insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions. Despite Traoré’s pledge to restore security within “two to three months” of seizing power, attacks have surged.

Data verified by the BBC shows jihadist group JNIM carried out more than 280 attacks in the first half of 2025, double the number from the same period in 2024.

The junta has distanced itself from France, its former colonial ruler, and instead aligned more closely with Russia. Critics say the government has also suppressed political freedoms and targeted civilians in counter-insurgency operations.

Last year, Traoré’s government extended military rule for five more years and cleared the way for him to run in the 2029 presidential election, further entrenching his power as he cultivates the image of a pan-Africanist leader.

The UN has yet to issue an official response to Flore-Smereczniak’s expulsion, though Secretary-General António Guterres previously voiced regret when her predecessor was ousted, reiterating the UN’s readiness to work with the Burkinabé people despite tensions with the junta.