Burkina Faso has declared three French diplomats “persona non grata” and ordered them to leave the country within 48hours. This was in a note dated Tuesday and sent to the French embassy.
In diplomacy, “persona non grata” refers to a foreign diplomat who is asked by the host country to return to their home country. If the request is not honored, the host state may refuse to recognize the person as a member of the diplomatic mission, including the removal of diplomatic immunity. The host country also has the right to declare a diplomat persona non grata at any time without explanation.
Tensions have been rising between Burkina Faso’s military junta and France since the junta took power in a September 2022 coup. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly since Captain Ibrahim Traoré assumed power in the coup, marking the second coup in eight months.
After the coup, Burkina Faso canceled a 1961 military agreement with France and consequently withdrew the French ambassador from the country who is still yet to be replaced. On December 1, four French officials were arrested, charged, and imprisoned in the capital, Ouagadougou, according to a French source.
The Burkinabe authorities claimed the detained individuals were intelligence agents, while the French source stated they were IT support staff. The four individuals are now under house arrest, according to Burkina Faso security sources.
In December 2022, Ouagadougou expelled two French nationals working for a Burkina Faso company, alleging espionage.
Also, France has ended its anti-jihadist military missions in Mali and Burkina Faso, and more recently began withdrawing forces from Niger — all three countries now ruled by juntas after coups. Burkina Faso has increasingly turned to Russia, Mali, and Niger for security assistance.
