The Burkina Faso government declared two European Union diplomats persona non grata on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. This decision affects the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in charge of press and information, as well as the EU Programme Manager, according to Burkina Faso’s official news agency.
The two diplomats have been given 72 hours to leave the country from the date of notification. Authorities have not provided any official explanation for this decision.
This expulsion follows a series of diplomatic tensions. Just weeks prior, on June 22, the Burkinabe Foreign Minister summoned the EU Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, to protest against a European Parliament resolution deemed “hostile” and an “interference in internal affairs.”
The deterioration in Burkina Faso-EU relations has reached a critical point, marked by this latest move. Earlier, on June 26, Burkina Faso had already announced the severing of diplomatic ties with France, further straining its international partnerships.
