PARIS (AP) 鈥 The French foreign ministry said Thursday it is recalling its ambassador to Burkina Faso for consultations, one day after Paris decided to withdraw troops from the West African country following a demand by its military rulers.
A top official at the foreign ministry said the decision has been made 鈥渋n the context of the latest developments in Burkina Faso鈥 in order to conduct 鈥渃onsultations on the state and perspectives of our bilateral cooperation鈥 with Ambassador Luc Hallade. The official requested anonymity in line with the French government鈥檚 customary practices.
Burkina Faso鈥檚 military junta had asked France to recall its ambassador earlier this month.
France鈥檚 foreign ministry said Wednesday that French troops deployed in Burkina Faso , in line with Burkina Faso's notification of the termination of the 2018 agreement on the presence of French troops on its soil.
About 400 French special forces members were based in the country as part of a broader military deployment aimed at fighting extremists in Africa鈥檚 Sahel region.
Anti-French sentiment has grown in Burkina Faso, a former French colony, since junta leader Ibrahim Traore seized power in September. Traore has been more overtly open to working with other countries, notably Russia.
The move by Burkina Faso鈥檚 regime comes five months after after nine years fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops.
About 3,000 French soldiers are deployed in the Sahel region, most of them based in Chad and Niger.
