Africa

Burkina Faso Wants French Troops Gone Within a Month

Burkina Faso, a West African country, was a former French colony until it gained its independence in 1960. The landlocked "land of honest men" has suffered from recurring droughts and military coups. Since its last coup on September 30, 2022 the military has since taken control of the country in an effort to fight jihadism.
Sputnik
Burkina Faso's military regime has demanded that France pulls its troops from their country within a month AIB, the Burkinabe state news agency, reported on Saturday.
France has around 400 soldiers stationed in Burkina Faso. French minister Chrysoula Zacharopoulou recently said that France was still committed to aiding Burkina Faso against jihadists despite the tension between the two countries.
"France is a consistent partner, engaged at Burkina Faso's side through the challenges it faces, and is ready to stay," she told reporters on January 11. "We know the price the Burkinabe armed forces and the civilian population have been paying for years."
Burkina Faso's state television RTB, citing AIB, said the country's military government suspended a 2018 military accord on Wednesday. That military accord allows French armed forces to remain in the country.
"The Burkinabe government last Wednesday denounced the accord which has governed, since 2018, the presence of French armed forces on its territory," said AIB, adding that it will give France a month to leave the country.
Burkina Faso, which is led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, has reportedly been inching away from France as a criticism of their failure to improve security issues in the country. Since the coup in September, the country has been making an effort to form a closer alliance with Russia.
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