Burkina Faso Cuts Diplomatic Ties With France, Cites 'Neo-Colonial Ambitions'

Burkina Faso's ruling military junta has officially broken off diplomatic relations with France, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the West African nation and its former colonial power. Communications Minister Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo announced the decision in a televised address on Friday, accusing France of what he described as "ceaseless activism" and "neo-colonial ambitions" directed against Burkina Faso.

Relations between the two countries have been deteriorating sharply since Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power through a coup in 2022 and steered the country towards an increasingly anti-Western posture. One of his early moves was to expel French troops who had been stationed in the country as part of broader counter-insurgency operations against Islamist militants in the Sahel region. Burkina Faso, much like its neighbour Mali, has endured more than a decade of deadly jihadist violence.

The junta's statement alleged that France had been backing "subversive networks" and deliberately seeking to marginalise Burkina Faso on the world stage. However, officials were careful to note that the diplomatic rupture "concerns exclusively the institutional framework of relations" and does not erase the historical and cultural bonds between the two peoples.

France's foreign ministry rejected the move as "hostile and unfounded," saying it "illustrated the troubling drift by the Burkinabe government." Paris also advised its citizens remaining in Burkina Faso to exercise heightened caution following the announcement. Notably, France has had no sitting ambassador in the country since January 2023, and three French diplomats were expelled in 2024 on allegations of subversive conduct — claims Paris denied.

The development fits a broader pattern of shifting alliances across the Sahel. Burkina Faso, alongside Mali and Niger — both also governed by military juntas — formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025 to establish their own bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States. All three nations have moved closer to Russia and China, with Russian Wagner Group mercenaries reported to be active in the region.

• Burkina Faso's junta cited France's alleged "neo-colonial ambitions" as grounds for the split.
• Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger quit ECOWAS in January 2025 to form the Alliance of Sahel States.
• France called the severance of ties "hostile and unfounded" and warned its nationals to stay vigilant.