Four French officials, accused of espionage and held in Burkina Faso for a year, have been released thanks to Morocco’s intervention as a mediator. This announcement was made on Thursday by French and Moroccan authorities, highlighting the recent reconciliation between Paris and Rabat. France expressed its gratitude to King Mohammed VI for his role in resolving this sensitive issue, which had remained stalled for a long time due to strained relations between Paris and Ouagadougou.
French President Emmanuel Macron personally thanked the King of Morocco during a phone call on December 18, emphasizing the importance of Moroccan mediation in the release of the four French nationals. According to the Élysée, the president expressed his appreciation for the Moroccan monarch’s contribution to the success of this mediation.
For its part, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified that this humanitarian act was made possible by « the excellence of relations » between King Mohammed VI and Burkinabé President Ibrahim Traoré, as well as the longstanding ties between Morocco and Burkina Faso.
The four men, accused by Burkinabé authorities of being agents of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), were arrested in Ouagadougou on December 1, 2023. A French diplomatic source had clarified that they were officials with diplomatic passports and visas and denied the espionage charges, stating that they were in Burkina Faso for IT maintenance missions.
Since their arrest, French authorities had remained discreet about the progress of the case. The release of the four French officials marks a turning point in the relationship between Paris and Ouagadougou, which had been marked by persistent tensions.
This mediation occurs within the context of a rapprochement between France and Morocco, following a period of diplomatic tensions. In October, President Macron made a state visit to Morocco, signaling the end of three years of crisis. France had paved the way for bilateral warming by offering stronger support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, considering it to be « the only basis » for resolving the nearly fifty-year conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front terrorists, who are financially and militarily supported by the Algerian military regime.
However, this rapprochement between Paris and Rabat could lead to diplomatic tensions with Algiers, which has recently strongly opposed France’s stance on Western Sahara. In December, Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the French ambassador to Algiers to issue a « stern warning, » accusing France of carrying out « aggressive operations and maneuvers » to destabilize Algeria.