Burkina Faso kicks out three French diplomats over ‘subversive activities’
Al Jazeera
Gwenaelle Habouzit, Herve Fournier and Guillaume Reisacher, who allegedly met civil society leaders, have 48 hours to leave.
Burkina Faso has accused three French diplomats of “subversive activities” and ordered them to leave the country within 48 hours, according to a foreign ministry letter viewed by Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agencies.
Burkina Faso’s government did not provide details of the allegations against the expelled diplomats, who it named as Gwenaelle Habouzit, Herve Fournier and Guillaume Reisacher.
Reuters cited a source with direct knowledge of the situation as saying their expulsion was due to meetings they held with civil society leaders.
France’s foreign ministry has yet to comment on the report.
Since coming to power in a September 2022 coup, Burkina Faso’s military government has pulled away from France, its former colonial power, kicking out French troops, suspending some French media, and repeatedly accusing French officials of espionage.
