Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou on Saturday in support of the ruling junta, days after France confirmed its special forces there would withdraw.
Packing Nation Square in central Ouagadougou, protesters held signs bearing slogans including "Down with imperialism", "Down with French policy in Africa" and "Forwards for Burkina's sovereignty".
Former colonial power France has special forces based in Ouagadougou, but its presence has come under intense scrutiny as anti-French sentiment in the region grows.
Paris confirmed last week that the troops, deployed to help fight a years-long jihadist insurgency, would leave within a month.
🔴#Burkina24 #Iwili #BurkinaFaso 🇧🇫Le retrait de l’armée française du Burkina Faso salué par des manifestants à Ouagadougouhttps://t.co/TiNQf7TL3G pic.twitter.com/qHGODsXd8A
— Burkina 24 (@burkina24) January 28, 2023
Two coup d'états in one year
It was anger within the military at the government's failure to stem a jihadist insurgency that has raged since 2015 that fuelled two coups in Burkina Faso last year.
Violence by insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group has killed thousands of people and forced around two million more to flee their homes.
According to Alassane Kouanda, head of an association backing the planned transition to civilian rule, junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré was acting for the state's sovereignty and "an army powerful enough to fight jihadists."
Anti-colonial legacy
Some commentators say the Burkinabé government's request for France to withdraw its troops is reminiscent of the ideals of former president, left-wing anti-colonial hero Thomas Sankara.
A coalition of organisations supporting Sankara's ideas welcomed "the complete liberation of our country from the yolks of Francafrique, imperialism and deadly capitalism" using a term to describe French influence in its former African colonies.
Mahamadou Sawadogo, leader of the Burkina-Russia association, said during Saturday's protest that there were "other opportunities for cooperation" in the fight against jihadists, notably from Moscow.
Russian influence
Some protesters on Saturday held Russian flags and giant posters of the leaders of Mali and Guinea – West African neighbours which like Burkina Faso are ruled by military juntas following coups.
Other signs denounced the "diktat" of French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, turning away from France in favour of Russia – and the Wagner mercenary group in the anti-jihadist fight – has not convinced all Burkinabé citizens.
"We demanded the French soldiers' departure. Now that it's done, we must not let in other imperialists," said Ibrahim Sanou, a 28-year-old shop worker.
"It's up to us to take full responsibility because the fight for true independence in Burkina Faso begins now."
