Terrorism, expulsion and other matters - Burkina Faso

The West African nation of Burkina Faso has recently been facing a number of security challenges, including terrorism. In response to this, the country’s junta recently expelled France’s ambassador, Luck Hallade, as well as the United Nations resident coordinator, Barbara Manzi.

In this piece, I intend to briefly explore the general reasons behind expelling an ambassador vis-a-vis behind this expulsion and the implications it has for Burkina Faso’s security situation.

General reasons of expulsion

Ambassadors are expelled for two reasons: to signal displeasure with the sending country's policies or to signal displeasure with that particular person. Sometimes, an ambassador will be expelled because s/he is showing too much interest in an opposition group; is making public statements that run directly counter to the host government's policies; is embarrassing the local government through what is seen as rudeness or a breach of diplomatic protocol.

Expulsion can be an end in itself or it can be a step toward the breaking of diplomatic relations. Note that expelling an ambassador is not in itself a break in diplomatic relations. Only the ambassador is being sent away, not the entire diplomatic mission.

Other officers, including the deputy ambassador or, in US parlance, the deputy chief of mission, steps in — as he or she does when the ambassador is otherwise out of the country. As a lower-ranked officer, the deputy has less clout. The relationship and communications between the governments are downgraded, but not ended.

Expulsion of france's ambassador

The expulsion of France’s ambassador, Luc Hallade, was a direct response to France’s criticism of the junta’s handling of the security situation in Burkina Faso. France had been vocal in its criticism of the junta’s lack of action in combating terrorism and had even gone so far as to call for the junta to step down.

This criticism was seen as an affront to the junta’s authority, and as a result, they expelled Hallade in order to send a message that they would not tolerate such criticism.

The expulsion of Hallade has had a number of implications for Burkina Faso. Firstly, it has further strained the relationship between France and Burkina Faso. This is likely to have a negative impact on the amount of aid and support that France is willing to provide to Burkina Faso in its fight against terrorism.

Secondly, it has sent a message to other countries that the junta will not tolerate criticism, which could lead to a decrease in international support for Burkina Faso’s security efforts.

Expulsion of un's resident coordinator

The expulsion of the United Nations resident coordinator, Barbara Manzi, was also a direct response to criticism from the international community. Manzi had been vocal in her criticism of the junta’s handling of the security situation in Burkina Faso and had even gone so far as to call for the junta to step down.

This criticism was seen as an affront to the junta’s authority, and as a result, they expelled Manzi in order to send a message that they would not tolerate such criticism.

The expulsion of Manzi has had a number of implications for Burkina Faso. Firstly, it has further strained the relationship between the United Nations and Burkina Faso. This is likely to have a negative impact on the amount of aid and support that the United Nations is willing to provide to Burkina Faso in its fight against terrorism.

Secondly, it has sent a message to other countries that the junta will not tolerate criticism, which could lead to a decrease in international support for Burkina Faso’s security efforts.

In conclusion, the recent expulsion of France’s ambassador and the United Nations resident coordinator from Burkina Faso is a clear indication of the junta’s unwillingness to accept criticism from the international community.

This has had a number of implications for Burkina Faso, including a decrease in international support for its security efforts. It is clear that if Burkina Faso is to successfully combat terrorism, it must find a way to work with the international community rather than against it.