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Burkina Faso authorities declared two officials from the European Union delegation to Ouagadougou “persona non grata” and gave them three days to leave the country, according to what was reported by official media.
The decision includes the Deputy Head of the European Union Mission, who also heads the Department of Political Affairs, Press and Media, in addition to a program officer at the European Mission. The authorities did not reveal the names of the officials or the official reasons for making the decision.
The Burkina Faso News Agency said that the deadline for departure begins from the date of notification of the decision, on July 14, while there was no immediate comment from the European Union mission in Ouagadougou.
The decision comes in light of the escalation of diplomatic tension between Burkina Faso and the European Union, following the adoption by the European Parliament on June 18, 2026 of a resolution regarding what it described as “continued restrictions” on civil sphere and basic freedoms in the country.
On June 22, Burkinabe Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore summoned the head of the European Union delegation, Daniel Ariste Gastelomendi, and informed him of Ouagadougou’s rejection of the European decision, which the government considered “hostile interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
The expulsion of European officials constitutes a new chapter in the deterioration of relations between Ouagadougou and its Western partners, after a series of diplomatic measures taken by the Burkinabe authorities in recent years under the title of protecting national sovereignty and rejecting external interference.
