The Burkinabe government on Monday confirmed its request for the departure of French troops stationed in the country after the review of a 2018 military agreement.

The troops were allowed into the country to help fight against the insurgency; a campaign Ouagadougou says has recorded little success.

The government spokesman Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo in an interview on national television said France has 30 days to withdraw its special forces but insists that the diplomatic relations between the two countries remain.

While the latest development is attracting attention, questions are also being asked. For example, was the decision influenced by the Wagner group and will Ouagadougou’s relations with the West remain the same?

Youssouf Ouattara is a governance and security analyst in Faso.