Three French diplomats left Burkina Faso yesterday following their expulsion by the country’s military junta.
The diplomats were declared persona non grata and given 48 hours to leave the West African nation. The expulsion adds a new twist the worsening relations between France and its former colonies in the last few years.
Burkinabe Foreign Ministry said in a letter dated Tuesday to the French Embassy in Ouagadougou, that the three diplomats were committing subversive acts.
Expelled diplomats are Gwenaielle Habouzit and two political advisers, Guillaume Reisacher and Herve Fournier, as the officials who must depart the country by Thursday.
Relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have deteriorated markedly since Burkina Faso’s military took power in a coup in 2022. In March of last year, the government terminated a 1961 military assistance agreement with France that had been in place since Paris granted the Sahel country independence.
It has since ordered the withdrawal of the French ambassador and troops, as well as the suspension of several French news agencies, including broadcasts by television channel France 24 and Burkina-Radio France International. The military authorities accused the networks of false reporting and providing a platform for jihadist groups.
Last September, French defense attache Emmanuel Pasquier and his team were also expelled from Burkina Faso for “subversive activities.” An unnamed spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry at the time dismissed the allegation as “fanciful,” according to AFP.
Burkina Faso joined Mali in strengthening ties with Russia after both countries kicked out French forces, accusing the former colonial power of meddling and failing to quell extremist violence during its decade-long military mission.
