Burkina Faso cuts diplomatic ties with France over neo-colonial row

Burkina Faso's junta has ended diplomatic relations with France with immediate effect. The rupture deepens an already bitter rift as insecurity worsens across the Sahel.

In Short

• The junta said mutual respect and sovereignty conditions for engagement had collapsed
• France called the move hostile, unfounded and weighed reciprocal measures
• Ouagadougou has already expelled French diplomats and recalled Paris's ambassador

Burkina Faso's military government has cut diplomatic ties with France, ending relations with its former colonial ruler and a country that had long been a major security partner for the West African nation. The junta said the decision took effect immediately.

In a statement on Friday, the junta accused France of having "blatant neo-colonial ambitions and active support for subversive networks and terrorists", but did not provide evidence. France said it regretted what it called a "hostile and unfounded decision" and said it was reviewing reciprocal steps.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said the decision "illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinab authorities". He added: "Necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review." Confavreux also said France was monitoring the safety of French government personnel and citizens in Burkina Faso and urged them to exercise heightened vigilance.

Burkina Faso's Communications Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo said the move was taken because "the conditions essential for fostering relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, and respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are no longer met".

It was not immediately clear what the break in diplomatic relations would lead to or how it would affect the French embassy in Burkina Faso. Relations between the two sides have been strained for years. Burkina Faso's military government has previously acted against foreign diplomats, including the French, whom it has often accused of working against its interests. In 2023, the junta asked France to recall its ambassador and declared the United Nations' resident and humanitarian coordinator persona non grata. In 2024, it expelled three French diplomats for alleged subversive activities.

France had been Burkina Faso's main security partner until a 2022 coup. After that, the junta removed hundreds of French troops who had been deployed to fight extremist groups. The country, home to 23 million people, has faced years of violence by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as government forces that have often been accused of extrajudicial killings. The wider Sahel region remains the world's deadliest region for extremism.

Analysts say the violence has worsened under the military government, which had promised to curb it. A recent Human Rights Watch report said Burkina Faso's forces allegedly killed twice as many civilians as extremists in the two years after the coup. The report blamed government forces for at least 1,200 of the 1,837 civilians killed in the country between January 2023 and August 2025. In sum, the diplomatic split marks a further deterioration in relations between Burkina Faso and France as the country continues to grapple with worsening insecurity.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends