French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that he is waiting for an explanation from Burkina Faso after its military government reportedly ordered the French troops deployed in the country to leave within a month, reported Reuters.
“We are waiting for clarification,” Macron was quoted as saying by the media at the end of a meeting of the Franco-German Council of Ministers on Sunday at the Elysee Palace.
President Macron said there is great confusion over the remarks reported in the media and called for a lot of prudence.
The statement came a day after the Burkinabe government demanded the withdrawal of French troops present in the West African country. As per reports, the military junta suspended a 2018 military accord on Wednesday that allowed the presence of France’s troops in the country and has set a deadline of a month for their departure.
There are currently 400 special forces soldiers from France deployed in Burkina Faso, a country struggling to control militant groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
After the second coup in Burkina Faso last year, anti-French sentiment has spiked in the country amid perceptions that France’s military presence has not improved the security situation.
On Friday, demonstrators gathered in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou to demand France’s ambassador leave the country and the closure of the French military base there.
Previously, Burkina Faso’s authorities also demanded a new interlocutor to replace the French ambassador.
But earlier this month, French Secretary of State Chrysoula Zacharopoulou said France has decided to deal with the issue through diplomatic channels.
“France does not impose anything. It is possible to invent a future together,” she said.
Last year, the French government withdrew its troops from Mali after nine years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Many of the soldiers are now based in Niger and Chad instead.
