France has fully suspended its economic aid to Burkina Faso amid deteriorating bilateral relations and shifting dynamics in the Sahel region following the coup in Niger.
The Foreign Ministry declared the suspension of all development assistance and budgetary support to Burkina Faso until further notice.
The ongoing development aid projects amounted to 482 million euros, with an additional 13 million in budgetary support in 2022, according to figures cited by France 24.
The French government’s move comes after the Burkina Faso and Mali governments, both emerging from military coups last year, expressed support for the coup leaders in Niger.
After Burkina Faso’s military coup in September 2022 (following another in January), the new regime requested earlier this year a contingent of French soldiers to assist in the fight against Jihadism.
France agreed but maintained its economic support to Burkina Faso until this recent development.
GOLD FROM BURKINA FASO
France’s relationship with Burkina Faso, like that with many of its former colonies in Africa, is complex and multi-faceted.
Economic interactions between the two countries have sometimes been characterized as exploitative, mainly in terms of resource extraction and trade imbalances.
For instance, some critics argue that French companies operating in Burkina Faso have often extracted valuable natural resources, such as gold and other minerals, without adequately compensating the local economy or contributing significantly to its development.
France’s influence on the CFA franc, a currency used in fourteen Central and West African countries including Burkina Faso, has also been a point of contention.
Critics argue that this influence allows France to maintain economic control over these countries, thereby potentially limiting their economic sovereignty.
Furthermore, France’s political and military involvement in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel region has occasionally been framed as a form of neo-colonialism.
Some observers suggest that this involvement is primarily aimed at protecting French strategic interests rather than promoting regional stability and development.
However, it’s important to remember that this is a contentious topic with varying viewpoints.
France also provides significant aid and support to Burkina Faso and maintains that its involvement in the region is intended to foster stability, economic development, and counter-terrorism efforts.
Evaluating these complex relationships requires considering a wide array of factors, including historical context, current geopolitics, and specific economic policies and practices.