Burkina Faso's military-led government has launched a fierce diplomatic rebuttal against the European Union after the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning what it described as the continued repression of civic space and fundamental freedoms in the West African country.
In a formal diplomatic note dated June 23 and addressed to the EU Delegation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso accused the European Parliament of acting as a "judge" of its internal affairs and dismissed the resolution as an expression of neo-colonial interference.
The confrontation follows a June 18 vote in which the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved a resolution expressing concern over shrinking civic freedoms in Burkina Faso.
Lawmakers cited the dissolution of civil society organizations, restrictions on media activities, pressure on journalists and opposition figures, and allegations of arbitrary detention and human rights abuses.
The Parliament urged Burkina Faso's authorities to uphold freedoms of association, expression, and assembly, while calling for independent investigations into reported violations.
