Thousands of demonstrators gathered on Friday, June 7th, in front of the United Nations office in Ouagadougou. The protesters demanded a public apology from the UN and a retraction of accusations leveled against Burkinabè soldiers and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), seeking to restore their honor.
Chanting slogans such as “Down with the UN!”, “We don’t want the UN!”, and “The UN is a terrorist!”, the demonstrators marched from the Nation’s Square to the United Nations office in Ouagadougou.
The protesters found it unacceptable for the UN to accuse Burkinabè soldiers of massacring civilians. This response came after Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed serious concerns in late May about the recent rise in civilian deaths in Burkina Faso, implicating both armed groups and Burkinabè soldiers. Turk also called on the Burkinabè government to support a “thorough, independent, and transparent” investigation.
“How dare they accuse our soldiers of massacring their own brothers and sisters whom they are protecting?” questioned Ghislain Dabiré, a spokesperson for the National Coordination of Citizen Watch Associations. The demonstrators demanded that the United Nations publicly retract these accusations to restore the honor of the soldiers and Burkina Faso.
The protest also targeted France, with demonstrators giving the French embassy one month to relocate. They argued that the embassy’s proximity to the residence of the President of Faso posed a “permanent threat and danger to the security of the authorities.” The protesters warned that “strong and irrevocable measures” would be taken if Paris failed to comply with this ultimatum.
The demonstrations underscore the growing frustration and tension in Burkina Faso regarding international accusations and the perceived interference of foreign powers in the country’s internal affairs.