Sahel junta leaders meet for a summit in NiameyBurkina Faso’s junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore attends the first ordinary summit of heads of state and governments of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Niamey, Niger July 6, 2024. Image@ REUTERS/ Mahamadou Hamidou
France is considering retaliatory measures after Burkina Faso’s military government cut diplomatic ties with its former colonial ruler. The move prompted a strong response from Paris and highlighted the growing anti-French sentiment spreading across the Sahel.
French foreign ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said Paris regretted what he called the “hostile and unfounded decision, which illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabè authorities.” He added that “necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review.”
Burkina Faso’s ruling junta announced the immediate suspension of diplomatic relations on Friday, accusing France of pursuing “blatant neo-colonial ambitions and active support for subversive networks and terrorists.” The authorities did not provide evidence to support the allegations.
Communications Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo said “the conditions essential for fostering relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, and respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are no longer met.”
The junta insisted the decision was limited to state-to-state relations and did not affect the longstanding ties between the people of both countries. It said the move “does not in any way call into question the historical, human, cultural and social ties between the Burkinabè and French peoples” and described the diplomatic break as “the choice of responsibility and sovereignty.”
The latest development marks the culmination of years of worsening relations. France was Burkina Faso’s main security partner until the 2022 military coup, after which the junta expelled hundreds of French troops deployed to help combat Islamist insurgents.
Tensions continued to escalate in the years that followed. In 2023, Burkina Faso asked France to withdraw its ambassador and expelled the United Nations’ resident humanitarian coordinator. A year later, the junta expelled three French diplomats over alleged subversive activities.
Despite the military government’s pledge to restore security, violence has continued to intensify. In the two years after the coup, Burkina Faso’s security forces allegedly killed twice as many civilians as extremist groups. A Human Rights Watch report attributed at least 1,200 of the 1,837 civilian deaths recorded between January 2023 and August 2025 to government forces.
Burkina Faso, a nation of about 23 million people, continues to face attacks from extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State that have spread from neighboring Mali. The broader Sahel remains the world’s deadliest region for extremist violence.
France has advised its citizens still living in Burkina Faso to remain on high alert. It is still unclear how the diplomatic fallout will affect the operations of the French embassy in Ouagadougou.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah