Burkina Faso cuts diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France

The military government, in power since a coup in 2022, accused France of having ‘neo-colonial ambitions’.

Burkina Faso has broken off diplomatic relations with France, further widening the rift with its former colonial ruler.

“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, June 26, 2026,” said Friday’s statement read out on national television.

The military government led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, in power since a coup in September 2022, is pursuing a policy against critical voices and Western countries, especially France.

In the TV announcement, the government accused France of persistently acting against its interests.

“The essential conditions for promoting relations based on mutual ⁠respect, reciprocal trust, respect ⁠for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are not in place,” said Communications ⁠Minister, Gilbert Ouedraogo.

He said the decision ⁠followed a review of relations with Paris. He accused France of having “neo-colonial ambitions, made evident by its active support for subversive networks and the terrorists who are plunging our country and the Sahel into mourning”.

In January, political parties in Burkina Faso were formally dissolved by the military government, which has also seized all their assets in a move analysts say is a major blow for democracy in the West African nation.

Landlocked Burkina Faso is grappling with several armed groups which have seized control of land in the country’s north, south and west. These include the al-Qaeda-backed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), which also operate in neighbouring Mali and Niger.

Burkina Faso’s military has been accused of committing atrocities, including the ethnic cleansing of Fulani civilians, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch found last April.

According to the government statement released on Friday, the decision to cut ties with France “exclusively concerns diplomatic relations between the two states” and “does not call into question the historical, human, cultural and social ties between the people of Burkina Faso and France”.

It added that French nationals in Burkina Faso will continue to be protected in accordance with the law.

Once a significant power in northern, central and western Africa, France has seen its influence shrink in recent years, especially as many of its former African colonies, particularly in the Sahel, have distanced themselves and become more closely aligned with Russia and China.