Burkinabe protesters demanding departure of French ambassador
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Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Ouagadougou, demanding the resignation of France's envoy to Burkina Faso.
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A demonstrator holds placards during a protest to support Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces, in Ouagadougou, on January 20, 2023. (AFP)
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.
Read next: France may withdraw its forces from Burkina Faso's capital: Le Monde
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.
Protestors in Ouagadougou chanted anti-France slogans and held banners calling on the French army to leave the country. Some demonstrators have also set French flags on fire, while others used them as trash bags.
A protestor cried out and said, "We want to show France that we don't need it anymore."
