France is reviewing retaliatory measures after Burkina Faso severed diplomatic relations, accusing its former colonial ruler of backing terrorists.

Burkina Faso's military government announced the decision effective June 26, 2026, stating that Paris had demonstrated "blatant neo-colonial ambitions" through "active support for subversive networks and terrorists."

The statement added that "the conditions necessary for the promotion of relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust, non-interference in internal affairs, and national sovereignty no longer exist."

France's Foreign Ministry responded on Saturday by describing the move as "hostile and unfounded." It warned of a "worrying drift" by Burkina's military authorities.

Spokesperson, Pascal Confavreux stated that the ministry is reviewing "necessary reciprocal measures" but declined to specify what actions Paris might take.

In diplomatic practice, such measures could range from adjusting diplomatic representation to suspending bilateral cooperation projects or restricting visas. French authorities have not clarified their next steps.

The ministry also urged roughly 3,100 registered French citizens in Burkina Faso to exercise "heightened vigilance," citing data from April 2023.

The severance formalizes a relationship that had largely ceased functioning. France has not had an ambassador in Ouagadougou since January 2023, when Burkina's junta requested a recall and subsequently refused to approve a new replacement.

In 2024, Ouagadougou expelled three French diplomats on suspicion of "subversive activities."

The French embassy's operational status remains unclear. However, Burkina's government explicitly stated that French citizens will continue to receive legal protection, calling on locals to exercise "responsibility, restraint, and civic-mindedness" toward them.

The rupture is the latest in a cascade of French diplomatic setbacks across the Sahel. Military-led governments in Mali, Niger and Burkina have all reduced cooperation with Paris while forging closer ties with alternative partners, including Russia. The three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025.

ECOWAS recently warned that the region faces a risk of "disintegration." No official response has yet come from the African Union, the United Nations, or Moscow.

"This decision concerns only the institutional framework of diplomatic relations between the two countries," the Burkinabe statement read. "It in no way calls into question the historical, human, cultural, and social ties between the Burkinabe and French peoples."