Key facts
- The UN will close its human rights office in Burkina Faso by November 30.
- The closure follows the junta's indefinite suspension of the office's operations.
- The suspension was prompted by a UN press release criticizing repression of civic space and plans to ban political parties.
- The UN Human Rights Office had been monitoring and documenting human rights and training security forces since October 2021.
- Burkina Faso's junta has pursued anti-Western policies and severed diplomatic ties with France.
The United Nations announced on Thursday that it will close its human rights office in Burkina Faso by November 30, following the junta's indefinite suspension of its operations. The decision comes three months after the military-ruled nation suspended the office's work over a press release that urged the government to uphold civic space and reverse its intention to prohibit political parties.
UN rights chief Volker Türk stated that the suspension directly affected the office's ability to implement its mandate. The office, established in October 2021, had been involved in human rights monitoring, documentation, and training nearly 4,000 members of the defense and security forces on international human rights and humanitarian law.
Junta chief captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a September 2022 coup, has implemented anti-Western policies and faced accusations of repressing critical voices. The press release that seemingly triggered the suspension was issued on February 5. Türk expressed concern about the actions of authorities and security forces in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, where juntas have taken power since 2020 and forged closer ties with Russia.
In a separate development, Burkina Faso's ruling junta recently severed diplomatic ties with France, citing persistent actions against its interests.