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Catherine Colonna: "France is not a stakeholder in the events taking place in Burkina Faso"

Audio 06:52

Catherine Colonna, French Foreign Minister, July 18, 2022. © AFP / BENOIT TESSIER

Text by: Clémentine Pawlotsky

6 mins

France once again denies any involvement in the events in Burkina Faso.

The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, held this Sunday, October 2 to clarify things.

In an interview with RFI, she recalls that France is absolutely not a stakeholder in this situation, which she describes as an internal crisis in the country.

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RFI: What is your reaction after this new coup in Burkina Faso?

Catherine Colonna

Above all, I would like to say that France is not a party to the events that have been taking place in Burkina Faso for a few days.

This is a crisis.

This is an internal situation that is evolving, but it is an internal subject in this country, in which France does not have to take sides and does not take sides.

On this subject, Sunday noon, the putschist authorities called on the demonstrators to cease any act of violence or vandalism against the French representations in Burkina Faso, is this a signal that you consider reassuring?

We noted, of course, that Mr. Traoré made statements on Sunday asking that no violence be committed against French interests, the embassy or other French interests, because there had been, and it was unacceptable, serious, attempted intrusions against the embassy, ​​a certain number of actions carried out against French interests.

This is unacceptable.

It must stop.

So, we take note of these statements, but we remain extremely vigilant and cautious, the situation is evolving, and therefore we remain extremely cautious.

The instructions for our compatriots have not changed for the moment, and we urge them to follow scrupulously, I mean scrupulously, the instructions of caution given by the embassy on the spot.

Is this call for calm the result of an exchange between Paris and Captain Ibrahim Traoré, were you able to speak to him directly?

Or was President Emmanuel Macron able to speak directly with him?

It's not up to him to do it, and I repeat that France is not a stakeholder in the events that have been taking place in Burkina Faso since Friday.

This is an internal situation, and therefore it does not call for a position on our part for the benefit of some or for the benefit of others.

Our priority is really the safety of our compatriots.

They are nearly 4,000 in Burkina Faso.

We have taken prudent and precautionary measures, as is always done in these circumstances.

And to ensure their safety, that means having contact with everyone, but to ensure their safety, so that's the sole purpose of our action.

But without being involved, there may have been, one imagines, discussions with either Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba who has just been dismissed from his duties, or with Captain Ibrahim Traoré who has just taken his inheritance?

We are totally focused on the safety of our compatriots, all the actions we have been able to carry out, all the contacts we have been able to make, have this sole purpose.

Today we opened a crisis center at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris, in addition to the one that has been open at the embassy since the beginning, so that the French people on site can get information, it is open 24 hours a day. /24h and I repeat it to you, the axis of our action, it is the safety of our compatriots and nothing else.

This Saturday, the putschists declared that France had granted protection to the leader of the deposed junta, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, which France denies, should this be seen as proof of a climate of mistrust between Paris and the new Burkinabè authorities?

France firmly denied on Saturday, immediately obviously, this false information, no doubt circulating in a malicious way, according to which we would have welcomed Mr. Paul-Henri Damiba at the embassy or elsewhere.

It's wrong, it's inaccurate, we said it right away.

He was never welcomed by the French forces or at the embassy, ​​contrary to these false rumours.

The Burkinabè must find within their country the ways and means to return to a democratic transition, and to respect the timetable that was agreed with ECOWAS.

There have already been too many demonstrations aiming for no reason at French interests, this must stop.

We have taken note of a number of statements that are in the direction of appeasement, but what is happening is an internal crisis.

France is not part of it, neither for one nor for the other.

And so, it ensures the safety of its nationals above all.

You are therefore absolutely formal, France did not help in the exfiltration of Paul-Henri Damiba either?

We have several sources confirming that he is currently in Togo.

I personally do not know where he is, and I am happy to confirm that we have not played a role, or a role to play, in his situation today.

We have also seen over the past 48 hours demonstrators waving Russian flags, especially in front of the French Embassy in Ouagadougou, or on Independence Avenue, what do you think of these Russian flags?

It makes me want to tell you that I have no comments to make on this subject today.

This is a question that may arise at another time, but the priority of the moment remains, like all these last days since Friday, the means of ensuring the safety of our compatriots.

Captain Ibrahim Traoré declared on our antenna: “

”.

Are you afraid that Burkina Faso will finally take the same direction as Mali, namely a clear distance from Paris?

For the time being, I will not comment on the internal situation in Burkina Faso.

There is a situation that you must continue to see is evolving, and we have been following it hour by hour, in real time, since the beginning of these events.

But we are not part of what has been going on since Friday in Burkina Faso.

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