French state international broadcaster; carries the story with evident alarm, quoting Quai d'Orsay spokespersons calling the accusation 'baseless and hostile' and framing France as the aggrieved party losing its last foothold in the Sahel

Leads with the diplomatic rupture as the final stage of a two-year French withdrawal from the Sahel, noting that Burkina Faso joins Mali and Niger in severing ties with France after French military forces were expelled. The French foreign ministry said it would respond 'through appropriate channels' but has not specified whether it will comply with the deadline.

“La France n'a plus aucune ambassade dans les trois pays du Sahel sous influence russe, une rupture diplomatique sans précédent depuis les indépendances.”