Tensions are boiling over in West Africa.
France says it is now weighing retaliatory steps after Burkina Faso abruptly severed diplomatic ties with its former colonial ruler.
The announcement came from Burkina Faso officials on Friday, capping off months of worsening relations.
Leaders there accused France of supporting domestic subversive networks and terrorist groups—allegations that Paris has denied.
On Saturday, France’s Foreign Ministry hit back, calling the move “hostile and unfounded,” and warning of a “worrying drift” by the Burkinabe authorities.
Paris is now advising all French nationals still inside Burkina Faso to exercise heightened vigilance, citing deep uncertainty and regional instability.
The diplomatic fallout comes as Burkina Faso struggles to contain a devastating terrorist attacks.
Over the last decade, that conflict has spread across the wider Sahel region, killing thousands of people and displacing millions more across West Africa.