French troops to withdraw from Burkina Faso within a month

By SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — France’s foreign ministry says French troops deployed to fight extremists in Burkina Faso will withdraw within a month following a demand by the country’s military rulers — which came after a similar move from neighboring Mali. A top ministry official said Wednesday France has formally received a decision to terminate the 2018 agreement on the presence of French troops in the country. The official requested anonymity in line with customary government practice. About 400 French special forces are based in Burkina Faso as part of a broader military deployment aimed at fighting extremists in Africa’s Sahel region. Anti-French sentiment has grown in Burkina Faso, a former French colony, since junta leader Ibrahim Traore seized power in September.