Burkina Faso severs diplomatic relations with former ruler France

Burkina Faso's military government has announced it is severing diplomatic relations with France, accusing its former colonial ruler of harbouring "neo-colonial ambitions" in the latest break between Paris and a Sahel state.

The decision, announced on June 26, marks a further deterioration in relations that have steadily worsened since Captain Ibrahim Traoré's junta took power in a 2022 coup. The government accused France of supporting "subversive networks" and the militants it says are driving violence in the country and across the wider Sahel.

Traoré had already expelled French military forces, suspended Paris-based media outlets and urged other African nations to loosen their ties with France. His administration has realigned the country away from the West, forging closer military and economic partnerships with Russia, Turkey and China.

France rejected the move as "hostile and baseless," and said it was reviewing the necessary reciprocal measures. The exchange reflects the collapse of a once-close relationship between Paris and several of its former colonies in the region.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have all distanced themselves from France in recent years while battling deadly insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The realignment has reshaped the geopolitics of the Sahel, with Russia in particular expanding its footprint.