Four French nationals held in Burkina Faso for a year have been released following mediation by Morocco, officials announced Thursday, resolving a diplomatic dispute over their detention.
The individuals, detained since December 2023 in Ouagadougou, were reportedly linked to France’s foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE. Previously, the head of the DGSE described them as spies. French military and DGSE officials declined to comment on the case.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed gratitude to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for his role in the negotiations. In a statement Wednesday, Macron said the mediation “made possible the liberation of our four countrymen.” Morocco’s foreign ministry also praised King Mohammed and Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré, calling the release “a humanitarian act” facilitated by strong bilateral relations.
The release comes amid improving ties between France and Morocco, which reconciled in October following three years of tensions over immigration and the disputed Western Sahara region. Morocco, a former French protectorate, has maintained strong relations with Burkina Faso and other Sahel nations, offering access to global trade through the Atlantic.
However, France’s ties with its former West and Central African colonies remain strained. Burkina Faso has expelled French troops and diplomats, including France’s defense attaché and ambassador, and has suspended some French media outlets.
Burkina Faso, governed by a military junta that seized power in a 2022 coup, faces mounting international criticism for restricting freedoms and targeting dissent. The junta is battling a security crisis fueled by Islamist militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
