In a significant diplomatic development, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso has agreed to release four French nationals detained in Ouagadougou since December 2023. This decision follows mediation efforts by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad. The detained individuals were suspected by Burkinabe authorities of being intelligence agents allegedly sent to conduct espionage activities. According to a French diplomatic source, these individuals are «French officials, holders of diplomatic passports and visas» who were in Burkina Faso to perform a «computer maintenance operation for the benefit of the French embassy». The Ministry highlighted that this humanitarian gesture was facilitated by the strong diplomatic relations and longstanding ties between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Burkina Faso. The collaboration between the two nations, along with the personal rapport between their leaders, played a crucial role in resolving this situation.
