France suspends its development aid and budgetary support to Burkina Faso

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that France is suspending all its development and budgetary support to Burkina Faso until further notice. This announcement comes in a context of strained relations between the two countries since the military coup in January 2022.

France has decided to suspend “until further notice all its actions of development aid and budgetary support” to Burkina Faso, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday evening.

This announcement comes as Burkina Faso and Mali show solidarity with the military officials who took power in Niger. France, on the other hand, supports the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in their efforts to restore President Bazoum, who has been held captive since the attempted coup on July 26.

ECOWAS countries have threatened military intervention and have given the military officials until Sunday evening to restore constitutional order.

The ongoing projects of French Development Assistance in favor of Burkina Faso amount to 482 million euros, while budgetary aid scheduled for 2022 amounts to 13 million euros, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

The relationship between France and Burkina Faso has deteriorated since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a coup in September 2022.

On January 18, the authorities in Ouagadougou had requested the departure of the French Sabre force from Burkina Faso within a month. France accepted this departure but did not suspend its development aid or budgetary support as it had done for Mali.

However, on July 29, three days after the attempted coup in Niger, Paris suspended all its actions of development aid and budgetary support to Niger.

AFP