In Burkina Faso, the French army’s operations have officially ended. On Saturday 18 February, in the grounds of Camp Bila Zagré in Kamboincin, the “solemn flag-lowering ceremony marking the official end of the Task Force’s operations from Burkinabe soil” took place.
The event was presided over by Colonel Adam Néré, Chief of Staff of the Burkina Faso Army, and Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Lecacheur, representing the commander of the Task Force “Sabre”, according to a press release issued by the Burkinabe army on Sunday 19 February. It comes a few weeks after the Burkinabe political authorities denounced the 2018 agreement governing the presence of French Armed Forces soldiers in Burkina Faso.
“The disengagement of Sabre’s remaining equipment and materials will be finalised by a team of logisticians deployed for this purpose, according to a timetable defined in agreement with the General Staff of the Armed Forces,” the Burkinabe army’s statement said.
Since 2010, French special forces had been based near Ouagadougou, from where they conducted targeted military operations in the Sahel. Attached to the Special Operations Command (SOC), this joint operational unit of 400 soldiers is the largest deployment of special forces (SF) outside France, in terms of numbers and longevity.
But since the coup of 30 September 2022, the second in eight months in Burkina Faso, diplomatic relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have deteriorated significantly. Ibrahim Traoré, who surfed on the anti-French demonstrations that had become too frequent in the streets of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso to succeed in his putsch, is more inspired by Assimi Goita.
Once friendly, relations between the former colonial power and Burkina have become very tense, to the point where the International France Radio (RFI) has been suspended until further notice for “shortcomings” by the ruling military junta. In addition, French diplomatic premises were ransacked during the anti-French demonstrations, two French citizens were expelled from the country and the political authorities also requested the replacement of the French ambassador in Burkina Faso.
