The Burkinabe government has asked the French troops deployed on its territory to withdraw within one month.
According to the Burkina Information Agency (AIB), “the Burkinabe government last Wednesday denounced the agreement that has governed the presence of French armed forces on its territory since 2018.
In a context of growing diplomatic tensions between Paris and Ouagadougou, “This denunciation made on 18 January 2023, gives according to the terms of the agreement of 17 December 2018, one month to the French Armed Forces to leave the territory of Burkina Faso,” added the national agency.
According to concordant sources, the military junta of Burkina Faso has specified that this choice does not in any way act “the rupture of relationships with France” and that it concerns “only the military cooperation agreements”.
For the moment, no official communication has been made either by the Burkinabe or the French authorities. But in recent months, relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly. The population keeps taking to the streets to demonstrate against the French presence and demand the departure of its special forces. Burkina, which plans to diversify its partnerships, especially to fight terrorism effectively, is turning more to Russia.
“We want Russia to be an ally in the fight against terrorism, like all our partners. We know that Russia is a great power and if Russia wants to, it can really help us in this area,” said the head of the Burkinabe government, Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, during an interview with the Russian television channel RT.
It should be noted that approximately 400 French Special Forces soldiers are on the territory of Burkina Faso.
