Several hundred people gathered on Friday, January 20, in Ouagadougou to demand the departure of the French ambassador to Burkina Faso, Luc Hallade. This is yet another sign of Burkina Faso wishing to withdraw from cooperation with France.
Giant posters of Russian President Vladimir Putin were brandished during a demonstration against the French presence in Burkina Faso, in Ouagadougou, on January 20, 2023. The demonstrators flocked to Place de la Nation, in the center of Ouagadougou, at the call of the collective of Pan-African leaders (CLP). This movement demanded "the departure of the French ambassador" and the "closure of the French army base in Kamboinsin" on the capital's northern outskirts, where about 300 French special forces were stationed.
"We are here to express our total and unwavering support for President Ibrahim Traoré, for the defence and security forces engaged in the fight against terrorism and for the total sovereignty of our country," said Mohamed Sinon, one of the main leaders of the collective. "We are a pan-African movement - and we want cooperation from Burkina Faso with Russia and strengthening ties of friendship and cooperation with Guinea and Mali."
The demonstrators, mostly dressed in white, carried signs on which one could read: "French army, get out of our house," "France, get out!" or even "Out with the arsonist diplomats!"
The protests are a consequence of the authorities' decision to end the agreement, which allowed for the presence of French special forces on their territory. The soldiers of Operation Saber now have one month to break camp in Kamboinsin. Deployed for four years in support of Operation Barkhane in the Sahel, "Saber" had the main objective of tracking down "high value-added targets."
Comments