The United Nations is shutting down its human rights office in Burkina Faso after the ruling military junta indefinitely suspended its operations.
UN rights chief Volker Türk announced the closure on Thursday, stating the suspension directly affected the agency's ability to implement its mandate. The office, established in October 2021, had trained nearly 4,000 defense and security personnel on international law. Operations are set to wind down by November 30.
The suspension stemmed from a February press release in which Türk called on the Burkinabe authorities to uphold civic space and halt a ban on political parties. Since seizing power in a September 2022 coup, junta chief Captain Ibrahim Traoré has pursued anti-Western policies while cracking down on dissent.
Burkina Faso is part of a shifting geopolitical landscape in the Sahel, moving away from former colonial power France and strengthening ties with Russia alongside neighboring juntas in Mali and Niger.