European Union protests Burkina Faso's expulsion of European diplomats

Brussels, July 16 (KUNA) -- The European Union expressed strong protest on Thursday over the decision by Burkinabe authorities to expel two diplomats from the EU delegation in Ouagadougou, describing the move as “unjustified.” EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Heber said in a statement that the European bloc strongly protests the “unjustified decision by Burkina Faso to expel two diplomats from the EU delegation,” for which no explanation had been received. Heber added that the EU had summoned the Burkinabe ambassador to Brussels to convey its official protest, confirming that “countermeasures will follow,” without specifying their nature.

Burkinabe authorities had announced on Wednesday that two diplomats from the EU delegation in the capital, Ouagadougou, were declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country, without providing any official explanation for the decision. The Burkinabe news agency reported that the decision was communicated to the two diplomats on Tuesday. They are the deputy head of the EU delegation in Ouagadougou and an official responsible for one of the EU’s programs in the country, though their identities were not disclosed.

The roots of the crisis date back to June, when the European Parliament adopted a resolution that Burkinabe authorities deemed “hostile” for criticizing what it described as “the shrinking of civic space and fundamental freedoms in Burkina Faso” and calling for independent investigations into allegations of human rights violations. Amid escalating tensions, Ouagadougou also announced the severing of diplomatic relations with France, while authorities canceled meetings scheduled with the EU’s special envoy for the Sahel region, who was visiting the country at the time. (End) A.R.N. / M.A.A.