Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta has severed diplomatic relations with France, accusing the former colonial power of acting against the country’s interests and supporting destabilising networks in the Sahel, reports AFP.
The announcement was made on Friday (June 26, 2026) in a statement read on national television, declaring that the decision takes immediate effect.
“The government of Burkina Faso hereby informs the national and international community that it has decided to sever diplomatic relations with France with effect from today,” the statement said.
The junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré since a 2022 coup, accused France of pursuing “neo-colonial ambitions” and alleged that Paris was supporting “subversive networks and terrorists” operating in the Sahel region.
France rejected the decision, calling it a “hostile and baseless measure” and saying it reflected “the troubling drift of the Burkinabe authorities.” It added that reciprocal measures were under review.
Burkina Faso said the move applied only to diplomatic relations and did not affect “historical, human, cultural and social ties” between the two peoples.
The West African nation has faced a decade-long insurgency linked to groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, with violence spreading across Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region.
Anti-French sentiment has grown in parts of West Africa, where several countries have reassessed long-standing ties with Paris amid increasing Russian and Chinese influence.
France, which once controlled vast territories across Africa, has maintained a significant post-colonial presence in the region, including military interventions since the 1960s.
In recent years, Paris has said it is moving away from the “Françafrique” system, which has been criticised as a network of political and economic influence over former colonies.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
