Burkina Faso denounced a “military assistance agreement” signed in 1961 with France, a few weeks after having obtained the withdrawal of the French force “Sabre” from this country plagued by jihadist violence.
In a letter from the Burkinabe Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed to Paris and dated Tuesday February 28, of which AFP has had a copy, Ouagadougou “denounces the technical military assistance agreement, concluded in Paris on April 24, 1961, between the Republic of Upper Volta (former name of Burkina Faso) and the French Republic, including its two annexes”.
Burkina gives “within one month” following receipt of this letter “the definitive departure of all French military personnel in service in the Burkinabè military administrations [sic] ».
On January 18, the authorities of Ouagadougou had requested the departure, within one month, of the French force “Sabre” in Burkina Faso as well as that of the French ambassador, Luc Hallade. The latter was recalled to Paris to “to consult”.
Diversify partnerships
On February 19, the Burkinabe army announced the end of “Sabre” operations in Burkina Faso, after a solemn ceremony of lowering the flags inside the Bila Zagré camp, in Kamboinsin, on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, where the contingent of 400 special forces.
Relations between France and Burkina have deteriorated since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a military coup in September 2022, the second in eight months.
The authorities have since expressed their desire to diversify their partnerships, particularly in the fight against jihadism, which has undermined this country for seven years. Among the new partners envisaged is Russia.
Burkina Faso, particularly in its northern half, has been confronted since 2015 with attacks by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) organization which have multiplied in recent weeks. They left thousands dead and at least 2 million displaced.