2023-08-23 12:27:56
The decision will undoubtedly further strain relations between France and Burkina Faso. The soldiers in power in Ouagadougou have, according to information from the Monde, refused in recent weeks to agree to the appointment of a new French ambassador to the country. The diplomat Mohamed Bouabdallah had been approached since the spring to replace Luc Hallade, whose departure had been requested at the end of 2022 by the ruling junta.
At 45, Mohamed Bouabdallah is deputy director of political affairs at the Quai d’Orsay. He has already been posted in Egypt as cultural adviser and director of the French Institute. He was only waiting for the approval of Burkinabé leaders to settle in Ouagadougou, his first post as ambassador.
After this end of inadmissibility, the French authorities will have to propose the appointment of another diplomat. “Each country is free to accredit or not the proposed foreign representatives. We refer you to the transitional authorities of Burkina Faso”, is content to comment on a French diplomatic source about this decision, which has remained confidential until now, in the regional context of the coup d’etat that took place in Niger on July 26. ” For our part, we continue to adapt our diplomatic arrangements to the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso. The number of agents deployed at the embassy has therefore been reduced. “, we say in Paris.
Paris does not want to work with the junta
Since Captain Ibrahim Traoré and his men came to power following a coup in September 2022 – the second in eight months in the country – relations have only worsened between Burkina Faso and France, although diplomatic ties are not formally severed. As in neighboring Mali, Paris has refused to work with the junta to ensure the country’s security, especially since the Burkinabé leaders have for their part sought to diversify their partners in the fight against terrorism, by opening the door to possible cooperation. with Russia and Wagner’s mercenaries – without their presence being confirmed in the country.
Read also: Russia considers rumors about the presence of the Wagner Group in Burkina Faso “unfounded”
“We do not work to ensure the security of a country with those who destroy this security”, says a French official, referring to the multiplication of military coups in Bamako, Ouagadougou and now in Niamey. In recent days, the Burkinabe authorities have supported the Nigerien putschists, assuring them of their assistance in the event of military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States.
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