Burkina Faso’s junta-led government announced on Thursday that it had released four French nationals accused of being spies, following negotiations mediated by Morocco.
In a statement, the West African nation’s information agency revealed that Capt. Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso’s president, acknowledged Morocco’s diplomatic role in the negotiations. The statement also highlighted the strained relations between France and Burkina Faso in recent years.
France’s Defense Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, identified the detainees as members of the French armed forces in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
The four individuals were arrested in Ouagadougou in December 2023 on charges reportedly related to espionage, according to Jeune Afrique and other French media outlets. Their detention occurred during a period of heightened tensions between France and its former colonies in the Sahel, including Burkina Faso. After two coups, the country of 20 million expelled French forces and shifted its security alliance toward Russia.
The ruling junta has since joined forces with neighboring countries to form the Alliance of Sahel States. The alliance’s three countries — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — have each struggled to contain the security and humanitarian crises.
France’s Élysée Palace announced in a statement that President Emmanuel Macron expressed gratitude to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for mediating discussions that secured the release of the detained French nationals.
Morocco, aiming to bolster its influence in the Sahel, highlighted its role in the negotiations. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the talks as a “humanitarian initiative.”
As France reduces its presence in the Sahel, other powers like Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates have sought to expand their security and trade partnerships in the region. Morocco, too, has been working to position itself as a key diplomatic mediator and economic partner. It has launched initiatives to strengthen ties with Sahelian nations, including infrastructure projects that provide landlocked countries greater access to the Atlantic Ocean.
Morocco’s relationship with France has also grown closer since July, when Paris shifted its policy to support Morocco’s autonomy plan for disputed Western Sahara.
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