Burkina Faso has cut all diplomatic and military ties with France, dealing a fresh blow to Emmanuel Macron's crumbling influence in West Africa. The junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, gave the French ambassador 72 hours to leave. Paris maintains 1,500 troops in the country. But they are now unwelcome. Traoré's government cited “interference” and “broken promises” from the former colonial power.
This is a pattern. France has been losing its grip across the Sahel. Mali pushed them out in 2022. Niger followed last year. Chad is wobbling. The narrative is clear: the French posture of “Françafrique” is finished. But the story runs deeper. The coup leaders are not acting alone. They are playing a game. They know the West needs uranium, oil and security. So they play Russia and France off against each other. Wagner, now Africa Corps, has filled the void in Mali and Niger. Burkina Faso is next.
The timing is brutal for Macron. He is already polling in the gutter. His new Africa policy, launched at the end of last year, was supposed to reset relations. More equal footing, less patronising. It hasn't worked. The Élysée was caught off guard by the Burkina Faso decision. Sources inside the Quai d'Orsay say they were “not formally informed” before the announcement. That is a diplomatic slap.
But look closer at the domestic dynamics in Ouagadougou. Traoré is consolidating power. He has purged the military. He survived a coup attempt in September. Now he needs a win. Painting France as an enemy is a classic distraction from economic failure. Burkina Faso’s GDP growth is anaemic. The security situation is appalling. Jihadist groups control large swathes of the north. The junta promised safety. They delivered more conflict. So blaming France is an easy card.
Still, the consequences are real. The border between Burkina Faso and Niger is now a cauldron. Both are run by juntas on the same anti-French ticket. There is talk of a new alliance: the Liptako-Gourma charter. A mutual defence pact between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. That would be a formal bloc against the West. Not good for Macron's hopes of a new partnership.
What will France do? The official line is “regret but insistence on engagement”. Behind the scenes, the military brass is furious. They have invested heavily in Burkina Faso. Counter-terrorism operations. Intelligence sharing. All gone in a day. The French ambassador will be recalled to Paris. The embassy will be downgraded. But there is no appetite for a military response. France is overstretched in Ukraine-facing deployments and domestic crisis.
This story is not just about France. It is about the end of an era. The old colonial networks are fraying. The new African generation wants different partners. China is a canny alternative. Russia offers weapons and propaganda cover. Turkey is selling drones. The French diplomatic machine is too slow, too arrogant.
The question now: who is next? Chad elections are in May. The opposition is already accusing France of rigging the system. The junta in Mali is cheering on the Burkina Faso decision. The tipping point could be Ivory Coast. If Ouattara falls, the entire West African architecture collapses. Macron will need to reshuffle his Africa team. But more than that, he needs a new strategy. The old one is dead.
For now, the flag over the French embassy in Ouagadougou will come down. The last ambassador left on a military flight. In Whitehall, there is quiet relief that it is not us. For now.
