On July 14, 2026, the Burkinabè government declared two European Union diplomats stationed in Ouagadougou persona non grata. The decision specifically targets the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation responsible for press and information, along with a program officer from the EU Delegation.
Both diplomats have been given 72 hours to leave the country from the date of notification. Authorities have not provided any official explanation for this abrupt measure.
This expulsion follows the summoning of the EU Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, by the country’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, on June 22. The Burkinabè government had protested a European Parliament resolution, describing it as hostile and an unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs.
The decision marks another significant strain in the already tense relations between Burkina Faso and the European Union.
Just days earlier, on June 26, Burkina Faso had announced the severance of diplomatic ties with France, further highlighting the country’s shifting geopolitical alliances.
