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Rabat – Burkina Faso has announced that it is ending diplomatic relations with France, marking another major step in the country’s growing distance from its former colonial ruler.
In a statement read on national television on Friday, the government said the decision took effect immediately on June 26.
“The government of Burkina Faso hereby informs the national and international community that it has decided to sever diplomatic relations with France,” the statement said.
The military government led by Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power after a coup in September 2022. Since then, it has adopted a tougher stance toward Western countries, particularly France, while strengthening ties with Russia.
Communications Minister Gilbert Ouedraogo said the decision followed a review of relations with Paris. He accused France of acting against Burkina Faso’s interests and claimed the conditions for maintaining diplomatic relations based on mutual respect, trust, non-interference, and national sovereignty were no longer in place.
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Ouedraogo also accused France of having “neo-colonial ambitions” and alleged that Paris supports networks and armed groups that have contributed to violence in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region. France has repeatedly denied similar accusations made by military governments in the region.
Despite the diplomatic break, Burkina Faso said the move only affects official relations between the two governments. Authorities stressed that the decision does not change the historical, cultural, and social ties between the people of Burkina Faso and France. The government also said French citizens living in Burkina Faso will continue to be protected under the country’s laws.
The latest decision reflects the declining influence of France across the Sahel, where several former French colonies have reduced cooperation with Paris while building closer political and security ties with countries such as Russia and China.
In response, France said it regrets Burkina Faso’s “hostile and unfounded decision,” saying the move “evidences the worrying drift of the Burkinabe authorities.”
“France reiterates its solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso and recalls the strong ties that unite our two nations,” concluded the French Foreign Ministry’s statement.
