Burkinabe authorities suspended a supposedly illegal construction site at the French Embassy in Ouagadougou, media reported.
Begun in 2023, the construction site is well advanced: three blocks of two-story buildings with 28 housing units have been completed, as well as a bunker. The latter has even been supplied with fuel by the local branch of the French multinational Total.
However, according to the media, the French diplomatic mission has not received a demolition or construction permit. Nor has it been authorized to deliver fuel. The sources quoted in the report point out that diplomatic immunity cannot be used as an excuse for this absence.
The companies involved, and Total Burkina were questioned at the end of April 2024, according to the media. They all admitted that they had not checked the necessary permits before starting work.
The suspension of the construction at the embassy comes after three French diplomats were declared as persona non grata for engaging in subversive activities.