pan-African and Global South framing; contextualises the expulsion within the broader decolonisation rhetoric of the AES juntas and the replacement of French security by Russian Africa Corps and Chinese infrastructure partnerships

Reports the ultimatum alongside data on Russian Africa Corps troop deployments in Ouagadougou and Chinese construction of a new presidential palace and military training facility. Quotes Traore's government as saying it is 'choosing sovereignty over patronage', while analysts note that security has not improved and civilian casualties have risen sharply since French forces left.

“Burkina Faso accused France of backing terrorist networks, a charge Paris denied, as the last French embassy in the AES bloc faced closure.”