Officials in Paris said on Thursday that France was returning its ambassador from Burkina Faso, a day after conceding to the ruling military junta’s demand that troops withdraw from the former French colony in Africa’s Sahel region.
“In the context of the latest developments in Burkina Faso, we have decided to recall our ambassador to Paris for consultations on the status and perspectives of our bilateral relations,” the foreign ministry said.
Burkina Faso announced on Monday that it had given France one month to evacuate its 400-strong military stationed in the nation. Paris agreed to do so on Wednesday.
For months, the ruling junta has expressed its displeasure with French Ambassador Luc Hallade. In December, junta leaders demanded Hallade’s resignation in a letter to Paris, stating that he had openly criticized the country’s disintegrating security apparatus.
Since the summer of 2019, Ambassador Hallade has been in Ouagadougou.
The announced disengagement is the latest reduction in France’s military commitment in Africa. The junta in neighboring Mali has likewise demanded that French troops leave. President Emmanuel Macron ended France’s decade-long anti-jihadist operation last year.
Following military coups, both Mali and Burkina Faso broke out with Paris. With both countries under military administration, the French presence has grown more unpopular with the general populace.
Jihadist organizations are still active.
Jihadist activity in the Sahel region continues, as concerns increase about Russia’s growing involvement, particularly the deployment of mercenaries from the Wagner Group, which is managed by a Putin friend.
In December, the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso paid a visit to Moscow. He declared a collaboration with Russia to be a “natural choice” two weeks ago, at the height of the crisis over the continued presence of French military soldiers.
Burkina Faso is one of Africa’s poorest and most violent countries.
Since terrorists launched an uprising from neighboring Mali in 2015, thousands of troops, police, and civilians have been slain, and two million people have left their homes.
More than a third of the country is out of government control, and army dissatisfaction with the increasing toll spurred two distinct military coups in the last year.