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France to comply with Burkina Faso demand for military withdrawal

France is to complete a total military withdrawal from Burkina Faso after the ruling junta of the West African country demanded on Monday that the around 400 French soldiers stationed there leave within a month, amid speculation that the Burkinabè regime will now turn to the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group for support in its war with jihadist insurgents.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

France has agreed to a request from Burkina Faso's military leaders to withdraw all its troops from the country, reports BBC News.

Burkina Faso, which is currently battling a jihadist insurgency, says it wants to defend itself.

There are currently 400 French special forces in Burkina Faso, who have just one month to leave.

Last year France also left neighbouring Mali, where its troops had spent eight years fighting Islamist militants.

France has kept close military ties with many of its former colonies in West Africa and has been helping several of them fight jihadists who are active across the region under the now terminated Operation Barkhane.

However, its continued economic links have led to some resentment of its role, which Russia has tapped into.

Both Mali and the Central African Republic are now working with the Russian mercenary group, Wagner.

Burkina Faso has denied reports it will also engage the Wagner Group against the jihadists but a liaison team from the mercenaries has already visited, according to the AFP news agency.

A French foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that the Burkinabè government had sent a written request for its troops to leave.

"We will respect the terms of the agreement by honouring this request," the spokesperson said.

Read more of this report from BBC News.