Burkina Faso's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to the French embassy in Ouagadougou declaring three French diplomats persona non grata for "subversive activities," French media reported, citing a copy of the document obtained.
The diplomats must leave the country "within the next 48 hours," according to the document dated Tuesday.
In early January, French broadcaster Radio France Internationale noted that Paris's diplomacy had lost much of its influence in Africa in 2023; "former allies have turned their foreign policy efforts elsewhere in the wake of a series of military coups and general political turmoil."
Last March, Burkina Faso's authorities announced the termination of a military aid agreement with France and asked the French military to leave the country within a month.
Last July, neighboring Niger saw a coup followed by massive anti-French protests that demonstrated the local population's opposition to the former colonial master and demanded the withdrawal of its troops.
Amid anti-French demonstrations, Niger's military authorities also announced the cancellation of military agreements with France. In December 2023, the last French troops deployed in Niger left the country.
In addition to the troop withdrawal, Niger secured the expulsion of the French ambassador to the West African country, Sylvain Itte, and ended cooperation with the International Organization of Francophone Nations.
Last September, the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger signed a charter for the Alliance of Sahel States to create a collective defense architecture amidst deteriorating relations with France and the Economic Community of West African States following the coup in Niger.