Africa

Burkina Faso Set to Resume Diplomatic Ties With DPRK

Over the second half of the 20th century, relations between Burkina Faso and North Korea were very close. In 1970s, Pyongyang helped Burkina Faso (the Republic of Upper Volta at the time) with regards to agriculture and technology and supplied military equipment. In 2017 these relations were suspended by Bamako over North Korea's nuclear program.
Sputnik
Burkina Faso plans to resume diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the nation’s Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba has announced.
Bamako has also approved the appointment of Chae Hui Chol as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of North Korea to Burkina Faso. The Ambassador will be residing in Dakar, Senegal.
The main focus of the partnership will reportedly be military equipment, mining, healthcare, agriculture, and research.
The Burkinabe FM has also stated that previously her country had "very good relations with North Korea, which was a privileged partner during the period of the August 1983 Revolution."
In 2017, Bamako officially cut ties with Pyongyang over the UN’s sanctions against the DPRK's new nuclear weapons program.
Military
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Recently, the West African country decided to distance itself from its ex-metropole France and terminated the military cooperation treaty signed in 1961.
As the terrorism threat in the country persists, the Burkinabe government is now looking for new partners in the military sphere.
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