Burkina Faso will withdraw mining permits granted to companies from countries that refuse to sell military equipment to the African nation, announced the country's leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, during an address to the nation.
"Some [powers] have refused to sell us [military] equipment, have blocked the equipment we have bought from certain countries because they have the license for certain components," President Traore said, adding that "these powers mine minerals in Burkina Faso."
He declared to cheers from the crowd, "This is going to stop."
"We will withdraw these mining permits. You can't exploit our resources and refuse to sell us equipment."
"We will exploit them ourselves," he decided, without specifying which states he was warning.