Burkinabe government officially demands departure of French troops

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jan 2023 23:49
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National television in Burkina Faso officially announced that the government demanded that French troops leave the country.

People hold a sign to show their support to the Junta leader Ibrahim Traore and demand the departure of the French ambassador at the Place de la Nation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, January 20, 2023 (Reuters).

French troops stationed in Burkina Faso have been ordered to leave, according to a local news source cited by the country's state television on Saturday.

According to the state television RTB, the military government canceled a 2018 military agreement that permitted the presence of French troops in the nation on January 18. France has one month to remove its soldiers from Burkina Faso, it was also said.

As tensions between France and its former colony became worse, France's envoy to Burkina Faso, Luc Hallade, was officially asked to leave the West African country in early January. The development coincided with deteriorating relations between Paris and Ouagadougou, as well as rising anti-French sentiment among Burkinabes.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Ouagadougou, demanding the resignation of France's envoy to Burkina Faso, Luc Hallade, who was recently declared persona non grata by the West African country's government.

“The French ambassador - we want him to go back; the soldiers in Kamboinsin - we all want them to go back. Let them free Burkina,” demonstrator Abdoul Karim Sawadogo was quoted as saying.

Another anti-French protester stated that Burkina Faso is a sovereign country and that Paris is "not the ideal partner" for the West African country. “We are Burkina Faso, an independent country. Burkina Faso is a sovereign country,” demonstrator Souleymane Sawadogo stated.

“We have decided we want to lead this fight - the war we are currently waging - Burkina Faso has decided to lead the fight with good partners. And we feel that France is not the ideal partner to accompany us to the final victory.”

Popular demonstrations in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on Friday, are the latest expression of growing anti-French sentiment across the West African country.