Burkina Faso announces severing of diplomatic ties with France

OUAGADOUGOU, June 27 (YPA) – Burkina Faso announced it is severing diplomatic relations with France effective June 26, 2026, in a new escalation of tensions between Ouagadougou and Paris.

 

An official statement from the military junta led by Ibrahim Traoré said the decision was in response to what it called “Paris’s hostile policies, neo-colonial ambitions, and support for ‘subversive’ groups.”

 

France rejected the decision, calling it “hostile and baseless” and reflecting “a worrying shift in the orientation of the Burkinabe authorities,” adding that it is considering retaliatory measures.

 

The statement emphasized that the break is limited to the formal diplomatic framework and does not affect the historical and human ties between the two peoples, amid escalating security unrest in Burkina Faso due to attacks by armed groups in the Sahel.