France military ordered out of Burkina Faso in west Africa

Robert Besser
27 Jan 2023, 19:22 GMT+10

As Burkina Faso faces an Islamist insurgency, it is set to end a military accord allowing French troops to fight insurgents on its territory, as the government wants the country to defend itself
Groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have taken over large swathes of land and displaced millions of people in the wider Sahel region, just south of the Sahara
The national television station reported this week that the government had suspended a 2018 military accord with Paris on January 18, giving France one month to pull its troops out of the. country

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso: As Burkina Faso, in western Africa, faces an Islamist insurgency, it is set to end a military accord allowing French troops to fight insurgents on its territory, as the government wants the country to defend itself.

Groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have taken over large swathes of land and displaced millions of people in the wider Sahel region, just south of the Sahara.

The national television station reported this week that the government had suspended a 2018 military accord with Paris on January 18, giving France one month to pull its troops out of the. country.

Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron said he was awaiting clarifications from Burkina Faso's transitional president, Ibrahim Traore, about the decision.

"At the current stage, we don't see how to be more clear than this," said government spokesman Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, speaking on national television.

He said the decision was not linked to any particular event, but that it was the "normal order of things" for France to hand over responsibility to Burkina Faso for its own defense. The one-month deadline is part of the military agreement, he added.

"This is not the end of diplomatic relations between Burkina Faso and France," said Ouedraogo, adding that his country still wanted support in the form of military equipment.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Kuala Lumpur Times.

More Information

26 ℃

Fair in Subang

International

Section

First US state tax on firearms, ammunition adopted by California

SACRAMENTO, California: Intending to raise some US$160 million per year to help prevent gun violence, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed ...

Philippines removes Chinese barrier at shoal in South China Sea

MANILA, The Philippines: The Philippines remains steadfast in its resolve not to yield to Chinese efforts to obstruct its fishermen ...

Biden's $15 minimum wage for federal contractors blocked by US judge

VICTORIA, Texas: This week, U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, ruled that President Joe Biden did not have ...

NTSB probes JetBlue flight for turbulence that injured 8

WASHINGTON D.C.: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it is investigating a JetBlue flight on Monday that experienced sudden ...

S. Korea sends signal to north with large military parade

SEOUL, South Korea: Marking a tougher stand against North Korea, South Korea held its first large-scale military parade in over ...

US FDA warns healthcare companies, exporters of cough syrups

WASHINGTON D.C. After hundreds of deaths overseas from contaminated cough syrups, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cracked ...

Asia

Section