The UN Human Rights Office has announced it will close its office in Burkina Faso after authorities suspended its operations indefinitely, saying the restrictions made it impossible for the agency to continue its work in the country.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Thursday that he regretted the decision by Burkina Faso’s authorities to suspend the office’s activities, noting that intensive discussions with the government had failed to resolve the dispute.
Türk said the suspension had directly affected the office’s ability to carry out its mandate, leaving the UN with no option but to end its presence in the country. He added that the office is expected to close in November.
Burkina Faso’s transitional authorities suspended the office’s activities three months ago after it issued a statement urging the government to protect civic space, a move that prompted strong objections from the authorities.
The UN Human Rights Office has operated in Burkina Faso since 2021 and has regularly reported on the country’s human rights situation. Since Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a military coup, the office has repeatedly raised concerns over shrinking civic freedoms and pressure on civil society.
In February, the office called on the authorities to end what it described as repression of civic space and urged them to reverse measures targeting political parties.
The closure comes amid growing tensions between Ouagadougou and UN institutions. In August 2025, Burkina Faso expelled UN Resident Coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak, accusing her of contributing to a UN report that, according to the authorities, contained misleading allegations of violations against children by the country’s security forces.
A similar dispute led to the expulsion of the previous UN Resident Coordinator, Barbara Manzi, in 2022.
