The military regime in Burkina Faso decided on June 26 to break diplomatic relations with France, which it accuses of “continuous actions” against its interests, Agence France-Presse and Reuters reported.
Communications Minister Gilbert Ouedraogo accused Paris of failing to respect the principles of non-interference and mutual respect.
Relations between Ouagadougou and the former colonial power deteriorated after Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power in a coup d’état in September 2022. Since then, the military regime has pursued a sovereignist policy, with repression of critics and hostility towards the West, especially France.
“The government of Burkina Faso informs the national and international community that it has decided to sever diplomatic relations with the French Republic, effective June 26, 2026,” said a statement read on national television yesterday.
The junta condemned “the ongoing activism of the current regime in France against the interests of Burkina Faso, as well as the neocolonial ambitions manifested through the active support for subversive networks and terrorists who are plunging the country and the Sahel into mourning.”
Paris responded by saying it “regretted” the decision by the military authorities, which it described as “hostile and unjustified.” It “illustrates the worrying trend of the Burkina Faso authorities,” the French foreign ministry added, specifying that “the necessary countermeasures are under consideration.”
Burkina Faso, an isolated country in the Sahel, like many of its neighbors, has been rocked for a decade by jihadist attacks by armed groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes over the past decade.
According to the junta’s statement, this decision “extremely affects the institutional framework of diplomatic relations between the two countries.” It “in no way calls into question the historical, human, cultural and social ties that unite the peoples of Burkina Faso and France,” stressed the government, which reaffirmed “its commitment to ensuring the protection of citizens.”
Illustrative photo: pexels-lekepov-2044219506-37682063
