Burkina Faso Severs Diplomatic Relations With France in Sharp Break From Former Colonial Power
Ouagadougou— Burkina Faso’s military government has severed diplomatic relations with France, accusing its former colonial ruler of undermining the country’s sovereignty and supporting activities contrary to its national interests, marking the latest deterioration in ties between Paris and military-led governments in West Africa.
The decision took effect immediately on June 26, according to a government statement broadcast on national television on Friday. The ruling junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, said France continued to pursue “neo-colonial ambitions” and accused Paris of supporting subversive networks and terrorist groups operating in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region.
France had not immediately responded publicly to the allegations.
The government said the move applied solely to diplomatic relations between the two states and would not affect the longstanding historical, cultural, social and people-to-people ties linking the Burkinabe and French populations.
Traore seized power in a military coup in September 2022 and has since adopted policies that have distanced Burkina Faso from Western partners, particularly France, while tightening control over domestic political opposition and critical voices.
Burkina Faso has faced a worsening security crisis for more than a decade, with insurgent groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Daesh carrying out frequent attacks across the country and neighboring states in the Sahel, contributing to one of the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crises.
The diplomatic rupture reflects a broader geopolitical realignment across parts of West and Central Africa, where military governments have increasingly reduced cooperation with France while strengthening political, security and economic ties with Russia and other non-Western partners.
France, which maintained extensive political and military influence across francophone Africa after independence, has in recent years pledged to move away from its long-criticized “Françafrique” policy as anti-French sentiment has grown across several former colonies.
