France To Withdraw Troops From Burkina Faso Within a Month

The French government announced Wednesday that it would withdraw its troops from Burkina Faso within a month at the request of the Burkinabe government. 

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On Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry received formal notice from Ouagadougou to withdraw French forces. A ministry spokeswoman said, "we have formally received notice from the government of Burkina Faso to terminate the 2018 agreement on the status of the French armed forces present in the country."

"Under the terms of the agreement, the termination becomes effective one month after receipt of the written notice. We will honor the terms of the agreement by honoring this request," the spokeswoman said.

As part of Operation Sable to combat terrorism in the West African country, some 400 French special forces are currently deployed in Burkina Faso.

France announced that it would withdraw its soldiers deployed in Burkina Faso within a month, as requested by the government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré. After Mali, it is the second country in the Sahel, requiring the French army to leave its territory.

French troops will leave the country at the end of February, while their equipment will be picked up at the end of April, according to AFP.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Ouagadougou last Friday to demand the French exit. Following the Burkinabe government's decision, France asked the former colony for clarification. 

Less than six months ago, neighboring Mali also dismissed French troops. Burkina Faso is landlocked, located between Mali and Niger to the north and Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast to the south.