Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Tuesday January 10 the transitional President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré to reaffirm Paris' commitment to Ouagadougou, announced the Quai d'Orsay, in a context of degraded relations.
She "
recalled that France is a constant partner, committed alongside Burkina Faso in full respect of its sovereignty
", underlined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.
Degradation of diplomatic ties
This meeting comes a week after the French ministry confirmed having received a letter from the Burkinabe junta asking for the replacement of the French ambassador to Burkina Faso, Luc Hallade.
The diplomat, in office since September 2019, is in the sights of the authorities after reporting on the deterioration of the security situation in Burkina Faso, ravaged by jihadist attacks.
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During her meeting with the interim president, who came to power following a coup d'etat at the end of last September to overthrow a president who was himself a putschist, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou recalled "
France's support in the fight against terrorism
”.
"
They discussed the strengthening of the partnership between France and Burkina Faso, in the field of security, humanitarian aid and development
," added the ministry.
A country undermined by jihadism
France recalls that "
hundreds of thousands
" of people are displaced in Burkina Faso and deplores the deadly attacks by jihadists against civilian populations and against the security forces.
This situation "
must continue to mobilize everyone's attention and the support of the international community
", adds the ministry.
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In recent months, Paris has repeatedly said that France is willing to continue the partnership with Ouagadougou, particularly in the military field, provided that this partnership is desired by the Burkinabés.
Rise of anti-French sentiment
But the former colonial power is coming up against growing anti-French sentiment, as in other countries in the Sahel region where it has engaged militarily in the anti-jihadist fight.
In October, several hundred people demonstrated to demand France's withdrawal from Burkina Faso.
On November 18, another demonstration against the French presence took place in front of the French embassy in Ouagadougou before moving to the military base of Kamboisin, on the outskirts of the capital, where approximately 400 French special forces of Operation Saber, responsible for tracking down jihadist leaders in the Sahel.
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