[ColonelCassad] Commentary in italics by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
The scenario of the Central African Republic and Mali is being repeated. The new authorities of Burkina Faso against the backdrop of massive anti-French demonstrations demanded that France withdraw its troops from the country. We are talking about the withdrawal of the French special forces battalion, which provided the power positions of France in Burkina Faso. It is obvious that after their withdrawal, they will be occupied locally by the Wagner PMC, as was already the case in the Central African Republic and Mali.
BURKINA FASO URGES FRANCE TO WITHDRAW TROOPS
Burkina Faso has demanded an "expeditious" withdrawal of French troops from its territory, writes Le Figaro. According to the sources of the publication, the French are given a month for this. It is this period that is laid down in the agreement between the two countries dated December 17, 2018. “This is not a break in relations with France. The notification concerns only agreements on military cooperation,” the authorities of Burkina Faso said.
France is a former metropolis whose position in Burkina Faso has been contested for months. There are demonstrations that demand the withdrawal of French troops from the country. At the moment, a contingent of almost 400 French special forces is stationed there.
At the same time, at the end of September, a putsch occurred in Burkina Faso, and a transitional government came to power. The transitional president promised that the "struggle for sovereignty" had begun and relations with some states would be reviewed.
Last week, Paris sent its secretary of state there, who said: "France does not impose anything, it is ready to create a common future." But the new authorities intend to diversify their partnerships.
Among the alleged new partners, the authorities regularly mention Russia, the author of the article notes. “Russia is the smart choice in this dynamic” and “we believe our partnership needs to be strengthened,” Prime Minister Burkina Faso said after meeting with Russian Ambassador Alexei Saltykov. And in early December, he secretly visited Moscow.
Last summer, authorities in neighboring Mali ordered French troops to leave the country they had been in for nine years. Several sources report that at the same time, the Russian PMC Wagner was invited to Mali, although this information is denied there.
Now France is thinking about redeploying forces from Burkina Faso to neighboring Niger, where there are already about 2,000 French soldiers, writes Le Figaro, citing its sources.
https://russian.rt.com/inotv/2023-01-23/Le-Figaro-vlasti-Burkina-Faso-hotyat - zinc
The collapse of the French neo-colonial empire continues. We are waiting for the start of events in Niger in 2023 and the contestation of French control over uranium mines.