The UN Human Rights Office is poised to close its offices in Burkina Faso by 30 November 2026, according to a statement seen by APA on Friday.
The announcement comes three months after the Burkinabe authorities suspended the office’s operations following a press release calling on them to uphold civic space.
The government in Ouagadougou has not commented.
“I deeply regret the Burkinabe authorities’ decision indefinitely suspending our in-country operations, and that intensive engagement with the authorities since has not resolved the matter. This has directly affected our ability to implement our mandate and ultimately necessitated my decision to wind down the country presence,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The UN official said despite the closure, his office ”will remain committed to continue supporting and cooperating with the government, national institutions, civil society, and other stakeholders, to keep promoting and protecting human rights in Burkina Faso.”
The country office was set up in October 2021 and has, among others, conducted human rights monitoring and documentation, advocated with government officials and entities on respect for human rights.
During this period it had trained nearly 4,000 members of the defence and security forces on international human rights law and humanitarian law.
Burkina Faso’s fight against an insurgency has raised questions about human rights in recent years.
WN/as/APA