Burkina Faso's military junta has asked France to recall its ambassador, authorities said Monday, amid a surge in anti-French sentiment as the West African country moves to develop closer ties with Russia, reports FRANCE 24.
Government spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo confirmed to the Associated Press that Ambassador Luc Hallade was asked to leave, but provided no further details. The French embassy refused to comment.
The move comes less than two weeks after the United Nations’ resident and humanitarian coordinator in Burkina Faso, Barbara Manzi, was also declared persona non grata.
Burkina Faso has been wracked by violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people.
The current military regime overthrew a previous junta last year, claiming it had not done enough to stop the fighting. The previous junta had cited the same reason for seizing power from a civilian government months earlier.