The United Nations Human Rights Office has announced that it will close its office in Burkina Faso by 30 November 2026, three months after the country's military authorities indefinitely suspended its operations.

The decision marks the end of the UN rights office's five-year presence in the West African country, where it has engaged government institutions and trained thousands of security personnel amid a worsening security crisis.

Announcing the planned closure on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said prolonged efforts to resolve the impasse with the Burkinabe authorities had failed.

"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," Türk said.

Cooperation with Burkina Faso?

The Burkinabe government has not publicly commented on the UN's decision to shut the office.

The office's operations were suspended by authorities in Ouagadougou three months ago following a UN press release that called on the government to uphold civic space.

Despite the closure, Türk said the UN Human Rights Office would continue to engage with Burkina Faso on human rights issues from outside the country.

"Despite the closure, my Office and I remain committed to continue supporting and cooperating with the Government, national institutions, civil society, and other stakeholders," he said.

The UN Human Rights Office established its Burkina Faso country office in October 2021, at a time when the country was grappling with a rapidly deteriorating security situation driven by terrorists.