Burkina Faso announced on 26 June that it would cut its diplomatic ties with France. International relations expert Hamadé Soro explains what changes the move may bring and how the two countries will continue to interact.
The announcement may not have come as a major surprise to observers of the region: Ouagadougou officially announced on 26 June that it would end its diplomatic relations with Paris.
The move follows years of sour relations between the West African nation and France, which withdrew its military forces from Burkinabé territory in 2023 after Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power in a coup and moved his country’s ties closer to Russia.
From 2018 until the withdrawal in 2023, the French and Burkinabé governments had an agreement that allowed the presence of French troops on Burkina Faso’s soil in a bid to help the country’s military combat terrorist groups.
But with the last ties now officially severed, what will remain of the two country’s relation? International relations expert Hamadé Soro says that this does not mean a complete end to communication: “It is the state-to-state and institutional relations between the two countries that are affected by the break. However, we have seen countries that are in conflict still manage to communicate and maintain diplomatic channels through a third country,” he says.
The handling of affairs via a third country is according to the Vienna Convention from 1961, a framework treaty that defines diplomatic relations between independent countries.
Soro also notes that the break in diplomatic ties does not need to be irreversible.
“What is being challenged is the conduct of the current political leadership. If, over time, a new political situation emerges, new measures can also be taken to respond to those new circumstances,” he explains.
Meanwhile, France has condemned the decision as unilateral and unjustified, warning that it would respond with reciprocal measures.
