Burkina Faso has ended its relationship with former colonial ruler France | Political Affairs

The military government, which has been in power since a coup in 2022, has accused France of having “neo-colonial ambitions”.

Burkina Faso has cut ties with France, deepening tensions with its former colonial ruler.

“The government of Burkina Faso informs the whole world and other countries that it has decided to end its relations with France as of today, June 26, 2026,” he said on Friday on television.

The military government led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, which has been in power ever since coup in September 2022he is pursuing a policy against the harsh words and Western countries, especially France.

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

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

He said the decision followed a review of relations with Paris. He accused France of having “neo-colonial ambitions, which are visible through the support of the revolutionary networks and the terrorists who are tearing our country and the Sahel to tears”.

In January, the political parties in Burkina Faso were legal dissolution and the military government, which has confiscated all their wealth, which experts say is the biggest problem for democracy in West Africa.

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

Burkina Faso army He is accused of atrocities, including the ethnic cleansing of the Fulani people, which amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said. found April is over.

According to a statement issued by the government on Friday, the decision to cut ties with France “is mainly related to the relationship between the two countries” and “does not call into question the historical, social, cultural and cultural ties between the people of Burkina Faso and France”.

It also said that French citizens in Burkina Faso will continue to be protected under the law.

Once a major power in North, Central and West Africa, France has seen its influence decline in recent years, especially as many of its former African countries, especially in the Sahel, have become isolated and closely aligned with Russia and China.