The United Nations rights chief called on Thursday on the Burkina Faso government to halt all repression of civic space and to overturn its plan to prohibit all political parties.
The junta running the West African nation said last week it planned to dissolve all political parties, whose activities have been suspended since the military rulers seized power in 2022.
“Instead of banning political parties and jailing people for expressing their opinions, the authorities in Burkina Faso need to open up space for civil society, including humanitarian actors,” Volker Turk said in a statement.
They must, he said, “respect the exercise of freedom of association and expression, and lift bans on the activities of political parties, in accordance with their international obligations and commitments”.
The UN rights office highlighted that the Burkinabe authorities last year suspended the activities of several national and international organisations, either without explanation or citing vague grounds, such as unauthorised data collection.
In July, they also enacted a restrictive new law on freedom of association and, in November, issued a new decree requiring NGOs and associations to open and maintain cash accounts exclusively with a state-run bank.
The rights office warned that the combined effect of the suspensions and decisions “sharply constricted civil society’s activity in the country”.
Although the authorities last year released several people who had been arbitrarily detained, the rights office said it continued to receive further allegations of “enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests” in the country.
“Among the victims are journalists, members of the judiciary, leaders and members of political parties and civil society organisations,” it said.
It highlighted that the Burkina Faso government had committed in a roadmap agreement with the UN in December to end impunity and respect human rights in the context of security and military operations and to respect fundamental freedoms.
“These commitments are important and need to be translated urgently into concrete action,” Turk said.
“The authorities need to repeal restrictive laws, allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance to all those in need across the country, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained,” he said.
“Accountability for serious human rights violations must be pursued.”
