Burkina Faso expels French military attaché accused of “subversive activities”

This is a new sign of the deterioration of relations between the two countries. Burkina Faso has decided to expel the military attaché of the French embassy in Ouagadougou, accused of“subversive activities”. In a letter sent Thursday, September 14 to Paris, the Burkinabé Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave him “a period of two weeks to leave the territory”. The letter gives no explanation regarding the “subversive activities” accused of the defense attaché.

The Burkinabè government resulting from a coup d’état has also decided, according to this letter, to close the Burkinabè military mission in Paris. “The accusation of subversive activities is obviously fanciful”, reacted a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Relations between France and Burkina have continued to deteriorate since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a military coup in September 2022, the second in eight months.

In March, Burkina Faso denounced a 1961 military agreement with France, a few weeks after demanding and obtaining the withdrawal of the French “Sabre” force from this country plagued by jihadist violence. The government had also requested the permanent departure of all French military personnel serving in the Burkinabè military administrations. The French ambassador to Ouagadougou was recalled after the coup d’état of September 2022 and has not been replaced since.