Captain Ibrahim Traoré, head of the junta in Burkina Faso, has strongly criticized the French president Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of having "insulted all Africans." This reaction follows Macron's remarks at the Ambassadors' Conference on January 6, 2025, where he denounced the "ingratitude" of certain African countries towards France, particularly regarding French military interventions in the Sahel. Macron declared: "Ingratitude, I know this well, is a disease that cannot be transmitted to humans."
At a New Year's ceremony on Monday, Captain Traoré said: "We are not human in his eyes. This is how this gentleman sees Africa, sees Africans." Relations between Burkina Faso and France have deteriorated sharply since the September 2022 coup that brought Captain Traoré to power, leading to the departure of French forces from Burkina Faso in 2023, as in Mali and Niger.
Traoré also criticized the persistence of military cooperation agreements with France in some countries, calling their denunciation an essential step for a real break with "imperialist forces." Countries such as Chad and Senegal have already begun this process, demanding the closure of French military bases and the end of all foreign military presence.
According to Traoré, Macron should “pray to Africans” in recognition of the shared history that binds France and Africa. He stressed that French military interventions are perceived as a form of domination and not aid, which fuels resentment towards Paris.
These tensions reflect a profound change in relations between France and several African countries, which are questioning the colonial legacy and military cooperation agreements, thus marking a growing desire to assert their sovereignty.
