Burkina Faso has expelled United Nations regional coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak after a U.N. report alleged violations against children in the country, a government spokesperson said on Monday.
Authorities said they were not consulted during the preparation of the study, titled Children and Armed Conflict in Burkina Faso, nor informed of its conclusions before publication. The government accused the report of making “baseless assertions” without citing investigations or court rulings.
The U.N. expressed regret over the decision. “The Organization is accorded privileges and immunities, including the right for its staff members to remain in Burkina Faso in order to perform their functions,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
Flore-Smereczniak, who was forced to leave, was appointed last year and has over two decades of experience in development, security and humanitarian operations, according to the U.N.
The expulsion comes amid worsening violence in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel, where militant groups linked to Al Qaeda have fought governments for more than a decade. A series of coups between 2020 and 2023 deepened instability across the region.
The U.N. has previously condemned killings, abductions and the recruitment of child soldiers in the Sahel conflict. Dujarric reaffirmed that the organisation would continue to engage with Burkina Faso’s authorities to support the country and its people.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday that her government will continue releasing prisoners detained under former President N...
The U.S. and UK are reducing personnel at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base as President Donald Trump weighs possible action against Iran over its violent c...
China recorded the world’s largest-ever trade surplus in 2025, reaching $1.2 trillion as exporters shifted focus away from the U.S. amid ongoing tra...
Iran’s temporary shutdown of its airspace prompted flight diversions and fresh safety warnings on Wednesday as regional tensions disrupted airline o...
The United Nations has called on Uganda to lift a nationwide internet blackout ahead of Thursday’s general election, describing the restrictions as ...
Mali’s foreign minister has rejected claims that jihadists could soon capture the capital, calling them unrealistic. It was the government’s first detailed response to growing security concerns that prompted Western nations to advise their citizens to leave the country.
The U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou has temporarily paused all routine visa services effective October 10, 2025 according to an announcement on its website.
The military-led West African countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, denouncing it as "a tool of neo-colonial repression."
The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan and Burkina Faso met in Astana, marking the first such visit in history and setting the stage for deepened cooperation across various sectors, as Kazakhstan actively expands its engagement with the African continent.
The Trump administration will suspend all visa processing for visitors from 75 countries beginning 21 January 2026, according to a State Department memo reported by media.
Saudi Arabia has informed Iran that it will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for any military action against Tehran, according to two sources close to the kingdom’s government cited by AFP.
Sweden is sending a group of military officers to Greenland at Denmark’s request, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday, as Nordic countries and NATO allies step up coordination around the Arctic territory.
Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.
Boeing booked more aircraft orders than Airbus in 2025 for the first time since 2018, official figures showed, even as the European manufacturer delivered more planes during the year.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday that her government will continue releasing prisoners detained under former President Nicolás Maduro, calling it part of a “new political moment” since his ouster by the United States earlier this month.
The U.S. and UK are reducing personnel at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base as President Donald Trump weighs possible action against Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters.
The United Nations has called on Uganda to lift a nationwide internet blackout ahead of Thursday’s general election, describing the restrictions as “deeply worrying.”
Whole milk is heading back to school cafeterias across the U.S. after President Donald Trump signed a bill overturning Obama-era limits on higher-fat milk options.
A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station on Wednesday carrying a four-member crew on an emergency return flight to Earth necessitated by an undisclosed serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts aboard.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment