UN to Close Its Human Rights Office in Burkina Faso by November

The United Nations declared on Thursday that it will close its human rights office in Burkina Faso, citing the suspension of the office's activities by Burkinabe authorities as preventing it from fulfilling its mandate, according to a statement reported by Agence France-Presse.

This decision follows a three-month suspension imposed by the country's ruling military authorities, who halted the office's work indefinitely after it issued a press release urging the West African nation to protect the "civil space."

The UN human rights office in Burkina Faso is scheduled to close by November 30.

Burkina Faso's Political Climate and UN Relations

Since seizing power in a September 2022 coup, the head of the ruling military council, Ibrahim Traoré, has pursued policies opposing Western influence. Opposition voices have faced repression under his administration.

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed deep regret over the Burkinabe authorities' decision to suspend UN operations indefinitely. He noted that extensive dialogue with the authorities since the suspension has not resolved the issue.

Türk stated, "This has directly affected our ability to carry out our mandated functions, which ultimately led me to decide to end our presence in the country."

UN Human Rights Office Activities in Burkina Faso

The office was established in October 2021 to monitor and document human rights violations and advocate for respect of human rights within Burkina Faso.

It also provided training on international human rights law and international humanitarian law to approximately 4,000 members of the country's defense and security forces.

Despite the closure, Türk affirmed the commitment of both himself and the office to continue supporting the government, national institutions, and civil society in promoting and protecting human rights in Burkina Faso.

The Press Release and Its Aftermath

The press release that appears to have triggered the authorities' displeasure was issued on February 5. It called on the government to end all forms of repression against civil society and to abandon plans to ban all political parties.