OUAGADOUGOU — Burkina Faso’s military authorities have ordered France to close its embassy in the capital within seven days, marking one of the most rapid and forceful diplomatic breaks between the two countries in recent years, according to diplomatic sources and French media reports.
The decision, announced on June 26, followed the government’s move to sever diplomatic relations with Paris, which it accused of interference and destabilizing activities in the West African state. Officials in Ouagadougou gave French diplomatic staff a strict one-week deadline to fully vacate the embassy premises.
French authorities were reportedly taken by surprise by the short timeline, according to Le Monde, which said preparations for the closure were still ongoing as the deadline approached.
The move immediately disrupted consular services, including visa processing, while approximately 2,500 French nationals remaining in Burkina Faso have been advised to seek assistance from other European Union missions still operating in the country.
Paris is said to be preparing reciprocal measures, including the possible closure of Burkinabè diplomatic missions in France, although no official decision has yet been announced.
In its statement, the Burkinabè government accused France of maintaining “neocolonial ambitions” and of failing to respect national sovereignty. Communications Minister Gilbert Ouédraogo said the rupture reflected the absence of “conditions for mutual respect and non-interference” in bilateral relations.
The diplomatic fallout comes amid a broader realignment in Burkina Faso’s foreign policy under military rule, which has seen growing tensions with Western partners and closer ties with regional allies within the Alliance of Sahel States.
France, which for decades maintained a leading security and political role in its former colonies, has steadily reduced its military presence in the Sahel following a wave of anti-French sentiment and successive coups in the region.
