Burkina Faso releases four French nationals after being detained for a year

RABAT, Morocco (AP) – France said Thursday that Burkina Faso has released four French nationals it had detained for a year, following talks that had been dismissed by Morocco.

The French Elysee Palace in a statement said that President Emmanuel Macron thanked the King of Morocco Mohamed VI for mediating the talks that led to their release.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Morocco called it a “humanitarian program” and praised its role in the settlement of the two countries.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu sent to X that those arrested are members of the armed forces.

The four French nationals were arrested in Ouagadougou in December 2023 on what Jeune Afrique and French media reported as espionage-related charges. Their arrests reached a low point in France's relations with its former Sahel colonies, including Burkina Faso. After two coups, the landlocked country of 20 million people expelled French troops and turned to Russia for security support.

The ruling party has joined forces with neighboring countries to form the Alliance of Sahel States. The alliance's three countries – Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso – have each struggled to contain security and humanitarian crises.

Amid France's retreat from the Sahel, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have each sought to expand security and trade ties in the region. Morocco also wished to play a greater role as a diplomatic mediator and economic partner, launching new initiatives to deepen relations and build infrastructure that gives landlocked countries new gateways to the Atlantic Ocean.