Burkina Faso expels two eu diplomats amid rising tensions

Ouagadougou — Burkina Faso has declared two European Union diplomats persona non grata, effective immediately. The decision targets the EU delegation’s Deputy Head of Mission overseeing press and information, along with a program officer at the EU delegation in the capital.

The two officials have been given 72 hours to leave the country following the notification of their expulsion. Authorities have not provided any official explanation for the move.

This expulsion follows the summoning of the EU ambassador to Burkina Faso, Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, by Burkinabè Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré on June 22. The government protested a European Parliament resolution it deemed hostile and an interference in domestic affairs.

The strained relations between Burkina Faso and the European Union continue to deteriorate. Earlier, on June 26, Burkina Faso announced the severance of diplomatic ties with France, citing sovereignty concerns.