Four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year have been released, following mediation efforts led by Morocco.
The detainees, reportedly spies according to the head of France’s foreign intelligence agency (DGSE), had been held in Ouagadougou since December 2023. French officials, including the DGSE and military representatives, declined to comment on their release.
President Emmanuel Macron thanked Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for his role in securing the release. “This mediation made possible the liberation of our four countrymen,” the French presidency said in a statement.
Morocco’s foreign ministry praised the efforts of King Mohammed VI and Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré, describing the release as a humanitarian gesture made possible by strong diplomatic ties.
The mediation comes as France and Morocco work to repair strained relations following years of disputes over immigration and the Western Sahara. Morocco maintains good relations with Burkina Faso and other Sahel nations, offering them trade access via Atlantic routes.
Burkina Faso’s military junta, which seized power in a 2022 coup, has expelled French troops, diplomats, and media outlets amid a broader breakdown in relations with France.
