“He insulted all Africans”: Macron’s Comments Spark Repercussions in Burkina Faso

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Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the head of the military council in Burkina Faso, has stated that French President Emmanuel Macron “insulted all Africans.”

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This statement comes in response to a speech delivered by Macron a week ago, in which he condemned what he described as the “ingratitude” of certain African leaders for not thanking France for its military intervention against terrorism in the Sahel region.

During his speech, Macron said: “I think they forgot to thank us. No matter, it will happen over time. Ingratitude, as I know well, is a disease that does not infect humans.”

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Burkina Faso’s Response

In response to Macron’s remarks, Captain Ibrahim Traoré stated: “Macron insulted all Africans. (…) This is how this man views Africa, this is how he sees Africans. In his eyes, we are not human beings.”

In his speech on Monday, Traoré added: “If we want to break ties with these imperialist powers, it’s simple: we must cancel the agreements. If we only demand their departure from the (military) bases, we’ve achieved nothing.”

Relations between Burkina Faso and France have continued to deteriorate since Traoré, 36, came to power in September 2022.

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French forces withdrew from Burkina Faso, as well as from Mali and Niger, in 2023.

France has decided to reorganize its military presence in Africa, but some countries, like Chad and Senegal, took the initiative in November to request the withdrawal of French troops from their territories.

Chad annulled the military cooperation agreement between the two countries and demanded the departure of French forces by the end of January.

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Similarly, Senegal requested the closure of French military bases and the end of all foreign military presence on its soil, following a timeline yet to be determined.

France is also expected to gradually withdraw its forces from Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon, two countries with which it still maintains good relations.

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