The French foreign ministry says it received a letter from the Burkinabe authorities in December requesting the departure of France’s ambassador from Burkina Faso. “We have indeed received a letter from the Burkinabe transitional authorities. This is not standard practice and we have no public comment to make in response,” the French foreign ministry spokeswoman said over email. The whereabouts and status of French Ambassador Luc Hallade could not immediately be confirmed. The embassy in Ouagadougou declined to comment. The apparent expulsion signals a further deterioration in relations between Burkina Faso and former coloniser France which maintains strong ties with other former colonies in West Africa and has special forces stationed there. After the second coup in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe government accused France of supporting toppled military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in planning a counteroffensive.
SOURCE:AL AZEERA
