Deep Analysis · Africa
Key Facts
—The break. On June 26, 2026, Burkina Faso severed diplomatic relations with France, accusing Paris of “neo-colonial ambitions”; the rupture took effect immediately.
—The leader. Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a 2022 coup, had already expelled French troops, banned French media and turned to Russia, Turkey and China.
—The bloc. With Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso formed the Alliance of Sahel States – about 75 million people – which quit the main West African bloc in early 2025 and launched a 5,000-strong joint army.
