Burkina Faso’s military-led government on 18 August declared United Nations resident coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak persona non grata and ordered her to leave the country immediately. In a statement read on state television, the authorities said the decision followed a recent UN report on violations against children titled “Children and Armed Conflict in Burkina Faso”, which they said was prepared without Burkinabè input and contained “baseless assertions”. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the organisation regretted the expulsion and stressed that its staff benefit from privileges and immunities designed to allow them to carry out their duties. Flore-Smereczniak, a development specialist with more than two decades’ experience, took up the Burkina Faso posting in 2024. The move deepens friction between Ouagadougou and multilateral partners as the Sahel nation battles an insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The conflict, now in its tenth year, has killed thousands and displaced more than two million people, while a series of coups between 2020 and 2023 has left the country under military rule. The UN has repeatedly raised concerns over rising civilian casualties and reports of extrajudicial killings during security operations. Despite the expulsion, the UN said it remains committed to working with Burkina Faso to deliver humanitarian assistance and support the population amid escalating violence and a deteriorating human-rights situation.