BAMAKO, Mali 

French President Emmanuel Macron is “insulting all Africans," Burkina Faso President Capt. Ibrahim Traore has said, urging African nations to end military pacts with Paris.

"(Macron) has humiliated all Africans. This is how this gentleman sees Africa and Africans. We are not human beings in his eyes," Traore said at a ceremony in the capital Ouagadougou on Monday, hitting back at recent remarks by the French leader.

In an address to the diplomatic corps last week, Macron said African leaders had "forgotten to say thank you" to France for “helping to combat" insurgencies in the Sahel region.

"This is just a smokescreen for the people," said Traore, referring to Macron’s comments. "If anyone is ungrateful, it is him. France exists today thanks to our ancestors. They should pray for us."

The West African leader also said that Paris is changing its strategy to maintain its forces in Africa, as many nations in recent years have expelled French soldiers and bases.

“They will not leave certain countries ... They will set up security companies to secure their companies which are in these countries, but the soldiers will be there. You will no longer see them in uniform or gathered in bases,” Traore said, voicing regret that many of his peers "had not yet understood this."

Burkina Faso has been under army rule since January 2022. The West African nation was among the first African nations to expel French forces.

Over the past few years, several African nations, including Niger and Mali, have expelled French military bases, while Ivory Coast, Chad and Senegal have demanded the withdrawal of French forces.

French forces are expected to complete withdrawal from Chad by the end of January.

Djibouti and Gabon are the only two remaining African nations with a continued French military presence.

'Break military pacts with France'

Traore called on African nations to break military cooperation agreements with France. “It is the only way to have an independent army, to build ourselves and to be strong," he said.

“If you want a break with these imperialist forces, it’s simple. We must denounce the agreements. The problem lies in the colonial defense agreements that have been signed since independence,” he said.

"In the French system, the most dangerous ones are the military advisers,” said the military ruler, who took office in September 2022. “They are the ones responsible for putting France’s policy in Africa into practice."

Traore called on Africans “to wake up, to work for the happiness of African people, to fight against imperialism and to decolonize mentalities.”


*Writing by Riyaz ul Khaliq in Istanbul