Burkina Faso leader accuses French president of insulting Africa

Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for remarks made during his speech at the ambassadors' conference on January 6.

In his speech, Macron condemned what he described as the "ingratitude" of certain African countries toward France, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

Macron stated that "France is not in retreat in Africa," despite growing calls from several African nations for the withdrawal of French troops. He also remarked, "I think we forgot to say thank you. It's not serious, it will come in time. I'm in a good position to know that ingratitude is a disease that cannot be transmitted to humans." These comments sparked significant backlash across Africa, notably in Chad and Senegal.

On January 13, Captain Traoré joined the chorus of criticism, accusing Macron of insulting all of Africa. "He insulted all Africans ... That’s how this gentleman sees Africa and Africans. We are not human beings in his eyes," Traoré stated during a New Year's ceremony in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital.

Relations between Burkina Faso and France have sharply deteriorated since Traoré took power in a military coup in September 2022. This tension has extended throughout the Sahel region, where both Burkina Faso and Niger succeeded in securing the removal of French military forces in 2023.

Other countries, such as Chad and Senegal, have also acted against the French military presence, with Chad demanding the withdrawal of French troops by the end of January and Senegal calling for the closure of French military bases.

Traoré stressed that African nations wishing to break away from "imperialist forces" need only to renounce their agreements with France. "If we don’t denounce the agreements, just say they’re leaving the (military) bases, we’ve done nothing," he said.

He also accused Macron of ingratitude, adding, "If anyone is ungrateful, it’s him. I think that if he’s not an atheist, if he prays every morning when he wakes up, he should also pray to the Africans. Because it’s thanks to our ancestors that France exists today. He should pray to us."

By Vafa Guliyeva