The move follows Ouagadougou’s endorsement of the coup in Niger, Paris’s only remaining military partner in the Sahel region
The French government announced on Sunday that it is halting financial assistance to Burkina Faso over the West African nation’s stance on the coup in Niger.
“France suspends, until further notice, all its development aid and budget support actions in Burkina Faso,” the ministry said in a statement, without elaborating.
The decision comes just days after the ruling juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali declared their support for Niger’s coup leaders, and threatened to treat any armed intervention against Niamey’s new military leadership as a declaration of war.
The putsch in Niger on July 26 saw President Mohamed Bazoum deposed and detained, and national institutions shut down. The military explained that they had decided to “put an end to the regime due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance”.
Bazoum, who was elected in 2021, welcomed 1,500 French troops into Niger last year to fight a jihadist insurgency in Africa’s Sahel region, after France withdrew from Mali due to a deterioration in relations with the leadership there.
Paris has expressed alarm over the situation facing its only remaining military partner in the Sahel region, and like other Western and regional leaders, has condemned the power grab.
The ousted government’s allies, including Paris, have imposed sanctions in an attempt to force the military leaders to restore constitutional order, but General Abdourahamane Tchiani – the head of the transitional government – has said he will not submit to threats.
