Ouagadougou has released four French nationals detained on espionage charges for over a year following Rabat’s intervention. France’s Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) confirmed the release, previously reported by Moroccan media, on Thursday. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed gratitude to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for his intervention, which reflects warming ties between Paris and Rabat. The four men, arrested in December 2023 in Ouagadougou, were accused of espionage. However, French officials denied the allegations and described the men as diplomatic civil servants conducting technical work. The case underscores strained Franco-Burkinabé relations, largely due to anti-French sentiment and policy shifts following Ibrahim Traoré’s coup in 2022, amid France’s waning influence in the Sahel region. Meanwhile, Morocco’s role in the release highlights its improving relationship with France, bolstered by Macron’s recent support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
SOURCE: FRANCE 24