The French foreign ministry on Tuesday said it had received a letter from the Burkinabe authorities in December requesting the departure of Frances's ambassador from Burkina Faso - a move the ministry called "not standard practice."
The Burkinabe government has declined to comment officially on reports it sent this request to Paris last month.
In emailed comments, the French ministry's spokeswoman confirmed it had received such a letter, but declined to give further details or say how it had responded.
