The Latest Breaking News from Burkina Faso

Confusion over diplomatic standoff deepens after conflicting reports about the soldiers’ whereabouts

Military personnel told they can return to Nigeria after actions described as ‘unfriendly act’

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea and Gabon have all suffered regime change in the last five years, led by men in military uniform.

A Nigerian Air Force plane has landed in Burkina Faso due to what it calls an in-flight emergency

Unauthorised touchdown comes less than 24 hours after Nigerian forces intervened in attempted coup in Benin

Military elements attempted to topple Benin’s government in early December 2025. However, unlike other coups across the Sahel and west Africa since 2020, this bid triggered a military response from Benin’s neighbours.

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has taken a step toward reinstating the death penalty, adopting a new penal code that once again allows capital punishment for crimes including treason, terrorism and espionage.

The country had abolished capital punishment in 2018

Burkina Faso’s security minister headed to Tehran on Nov. 12, 2025, for high-level talks with Iranian officials. The visit was a fruitful one: The West African nation reopened its Iranian embassy, finalized new agreements on security cooperation and held discussions about strengthening relations in agriculture and industry.

West Africa's cattle herders are being stripped of their animals by extremist-linked armed groups as the deadly conflict in the Sahel region grows

Mali, alongside its neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, is ruled by military leaders who took power by force in recent years, pledging to provide more security to citizens.