By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Authorities in Burkina Faso have announced an end to a 1961 agreement on military assistance with France,
The agreement was brokered between the then newly independent Republic of Upper Volta, as Burkina Faso used to be called, and its former colonial ruler.
The scrapping of this 62-year-old agreement comes only weeks after it told the French ambassador and troops supporting its anti-jihadist campaign to exit the country.
According to a correspondence, dated Tuesday (Feb. 28) sighted by the AFP in the week, the Burkinabe foreign ministry while addressing Paris “denounced the technical military assistance agreement reached in Paris on April 24, 1961” as well as the deal’s two “appendixes”.
The Burkinabe Foreign ministry said the Sahelian nation was giving a one month’s notice for “the final departure of all French military personnel serving in Burkinabe military administrations.”
The move is a new high in the deteriorating relations between Burkina Faso and its former colonial ruler since the coup last year that brought Captain Ibrahim Traore to power.
On January 18, Burkina demanded France to withdraw its ambassador, Luc Hallade, after he made comments about the country’s security problems. He was pulled out, “for consultations.”
On February 19, the French flag was lowered on a base which hosted a special forces unit of 400 French men near the capital.
As the new authorities in charges said they wished to “diversify their parternships”, including in the fight against terrorism.
Burkina Faso has in recent times fostered ties with Russia including the alleged engagement of Moscow’s mercenaries, Wagner in the fight against militancy in the country.
