Burkina Faso severs diplomatic ties with France

Burkina Faso's military junta has broken off diplomatic ties with France, accusing Paris of persistently acting against its national interests. Relations between Burkina Faso and its former colonial ruler worsened after Capt Ibrahim Traore seized power in a coup in 2022 and pursued largely anti-Western policies. In a televised statement on Friday, communications minister Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo said France was guilty of "ceaseless activism" against his country and accused it of "neo-colonial ambitions". The French foreign ministry called the decision "hostile and unfounded" and said it "illustrated the troubling drift by the Burkinabe government". France also urged nationals in the country "to exercise heightened vigilance". Burkina Faso, like its neighbour Mali, has been battling an Islamist insurgency for over a decade, often alongside French forces deployed in the region. Soon after he took power, Capt Traoré expelled French troops. His government has accused France of having a "secret agenda" and pivoted towards China and Russia. The latest Burkinabe statement says conditions for mutual respect no longer exist between the two countries. It alleges French support for "subversive networks and an intent to marginalise" Burkina Faso on the international stage. …