Faith Nyasuguta
The military junta in Burkina Faso has expelled three French diplomats for alleged subversive activities, citing a government document posted on social media on Thursday.
According to the document signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, the Junta declared the three diplomats persona non grata and gave them 48 hours to leave the country. While the document did not specify the nature of the alleged subversive activities, two of the diplomats were identified as political advisors.
In response, the French Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the decision, rejecting the accusations and asserting that their activities in Burkina Faso complied with the United Nations framework for diplomatic and consular relations.
“The decision of the Burkinabè authorities is not based on any legitimate basis,” the statement read. “We can only deplore it.”
This expulsion comes amid strained relations between Burkina Faso and France, with the military junta cutting military ties with its former colonial ruler in 2023, similar to neighboring Mali. The junta ordered hundreds of French troops to depart within a month.
Despite over 60 years of independence, French remains an official language in Burkina Faso, and the country maintains strong economic and humanitarian aid ties with France. However, anti-French sentiment has risen due to the escalating violence from Islamic extremist insurgency.
Following a second coup last year, calls from anti-French protesters to strengthen ties with Russia emerged. This shift towards Russia and China, along with anti-western sentiment, is a growing trend across Burkina Faso and neighboring Mali, according to Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South.
“This is a continuation of a measure adopted by Burkina Faso and Mali that has seen the expulsion of French diplomats and journalists and suspended some international media,” Lyammouri stated.
Additionally, the junta is said to be distancing itself from regional and Western nations that disagree with its approach. This year, Burkina Faso left the West African regional economic bloc known as ECOWAS and formed an alliance with Mali and Niger, both led by military juntas.
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