Burkina Faso severs ties with France, accusing Paris of backing terrorists
Burkina Faso has broken off relations with France, accusing it of supporting terrorists. The backdrop: the 2022 coup, Russian influence and the CFA franc business.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Burkina Faso breaks with France: the Sahel drifts away from Paris
The government of Burkina Faso announced on Thursday 26 June the severing of diplomatic relations with France, which it accuses of supporting terrorist groups in the Sahel. The decision, announced by government spokesman Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, trinc an "in-depth review" of the state of bilateral relations, according to the official statement carried by Swissinfo.
The tensions go back a long way. Since Captain Ibrahim Traoré's coup in September 2022, the French embassy in Ouagadougou has come under attack from protesters aligned with the new authorities. The country thus joins other states in the region that have pivoted towards Moscow, such as Mali or Niger, in what some analysts call a second decolonisation.
The CFA franc business in the spotlight
Behind the rupture lies an economic factor: the CFA franc, a currency pegged to the French Treasury which, by various estimates, generates business for France worth close to 400 billion euros. For leaders like Traoré, this system is a form of plunder that keeps the former colonies in a state of dependency. Burkina Faso's exit strikes directly at Paris's interests in the region, where it has already lost military presence and political influence.
Towards a new order in the Sahel?
The rupture is not an isolated event. It is part of a process in which Russia —and to a lesser extent China— has been filling the vacuum France is leaving behind. Anti-French rhetoric has intensified in the speeches of the Sahel's new military regimes, which portray Paris as a neocolonial actor. The question hanging in the air is whether this wave will eventually spread to other countries in the region, such as Côte d'Ivoire or Senegal, where anti-French sentiment is also growing.
For now, Burkina Faso has taken the definitive step. France, already watching its network of influence in West Africa crumble, will have to rethink its diplomatic priorities. The Sahel is moving towards a new balance, and this move may be only the beginning.
The government of Burkina Faso announced on Thursday 26 June the severing of diplomatic relations with France, which it accuses of supporting terrorist groups in the Sahel. The decision, announced by government spokesman Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, trinc an "in-depth review" of the state of bilateral relations, according to the official statement carried by Swissinfo.
The tensions go back a long way. Since Captain Ibrahim Traoré's coup in September 2022, the French embassy in Ouagadougou has come under attack from protesters aligned with the new authorities. The country thus joins other states in the region that have pivoted towards Moscow, such as Mali or Niger, in what some analysts call a second decolonisation.
The CFA franc business in the spotlight
Behind the rupture lies an economic factor: the CFA franc, a currency pegged to the French Treasury which, by various estimates, generates business for France worth close to 400 billion euros. For leaders like Traoré, this system is a form of plunder that keeps the former colonies in a state of dependency. Burkina Faso's exit strikes directly at Paris's interests in the region, where it has already lost military presence and political influence.
Towards a new order in the Sahel?
The rupture is not an isolated event. It is part of a process in which Russia —and to a lesser extent China— has been filling the vacuum France is leaving behind. Anti-French rhetoric has intensified in the speeches of the Sahel's new military regimes, which portray Paris as a neocolonial actor. The question hanging in the air is whether this wave will eventually spread to other countries in the region, such as Côte d'Ivoire or Senegal, where anti-French sentiment is also growing.
For now, Burkina Faso has taken the definitive step. France, already watching its network of influence in West Africa crumble, will have to rethink its diplomatic priorities. The Sahel is moving towards a new balance, and this move may be only the beginning.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (11 replies).
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