Burkina Faso: after the violence of October 1, are the French people there in danger?

Juline Garnier 10:13 a.m., October 07, 2022

DECRYPTION

Are the French present in Burkina Faso in danger?

This is the question that currently occupies the Quai d'Orsay after the violent anti-French demonstrations last weekend in Ouagadougou.

According to information collected by Europe 1, six GIGN soldiers were sent Thursday morning to secure the French embassy, ​​which suffered damage on October 1 and has remained closed since.

At the microphone of RFI, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, was particularly concerned about the safety of her nationals, confirming "serious and intolerable incidents" having targeted the embassy and certain French companies. 

"Our priority is the safety of our compatriots. There are nearly 4,000 of them in Burkina Faso. We are focused on their safety and all the actions we have been able to carry out have this sole purpose," she recalled.

A critical situation, which pushes some researchers to worry about the safety of French nationals on site.

This is the case of Niagalé Bagayoko, doctor of political science and specialist in security issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

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French people persona non grata

"Unfortunately, they are starting to be in danger, yes," she warns.

"For a very long time, I thought that this feeling of hostility was almost exclusively directed against France's African policy, its military policy, its diplomatic posture. But there are two elements which are very worrying: first, the rejection of the French media and then of everything related to France."

The researcher even confides her fear for her safety if she has to go to the territory.

"As a French researcher, I am also very attacked, so there is something very worrying that is rising," she explains.

Over time, all French nationals have become persona non grata in Burkina Faso, making their life there complicated.

However, for their immediate physical safety, the Sahel specialist remains rather confident. 

"France in general has always had effective policies for the protection of its nationals. There is the Ariane device, there are nevertheless extremely precise evacuation plans which are planned, without forgetting the forces present on a permanent basis. on the territory as part of what is called the Saber force", she reassures.

This violence obviously raises different questions.

Why is there such a feeling of hatred towards France in this strategic country of the Sahel?

And where does it come from?

The answer could lie in the failure of Operation Barkhane in Mali, but not only.

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The total ineffectiveness of France in the fight against jihadism 

"What happened, in my opinion, takes place in several stages", begins by explaining Niagalé Bagayoko.

"There is a substrate that denounces the history and colonial liabilities of France, of course. But that does not prevent the fact that ten years ago, France was greeted with cheers in Mali with the operation Server."

At that time, French communication was very focused on the overwhelming military and technological superiority of the French army to eradicate jihadism forever.

"And we see that this is not the case and that on the contrary, starting from northern Mali in 2012, jihadism has spread completely within the sub-region", notes the researcher.

Several jihadist groups have taken control of territories.

There are three main groups, including Ansaroul Islam, a terrorist group born in Burkina Faso.

"This insecurity has spread to the territory of Burkina, but we are also seeing an expansion to northern Benin, northern Togo, northern Côte d'Ivoire, even northern Ghana", warns Niagalé Bagayoko. .

"So the military operation has absolutely not been able to contain this progression and it is this deterioration of the security situation that has given rise to these kinds of reactions."

Dreadful conspiracy theories to fuel anti-French sentiment

For the specialist, French inefficiency has created two types of reactions among Burkinabés.

First, a very pronounced skepticism about French military action, with questions like: "Is it really possible that France, with all the means at its disposal, is not capable of ensuring the security of the territory ?".

Then it created a much more perverse effect, namely fearsome conspiracy theories.

"The theories are based on this observation: 'if France has not won, it is because in reality it was an accomplice of all these jihadist movements, which it finances, which it arms in order to be able to exploit the natural resources of the area. Which is obviously completely fanciful", relates the researcher.

These messages circulate a lot on social networks, and in particular on Whatsapp, which makes the fight against false information very difficult.

Moreover, the French communication on the spot is very risky and seen by the local populations as paternalistic and condescending.

A critical situation for the researcher: "I really think that today France has an obligation to stop this because it is digging the grave of its presence and its influence on the spot".

"Terrifying" Russian methods of efficiency in information warfare

Russia, a historic player in the area, obviously has a major role in the dissemination of this false information.

If the latter is much less active militarily in the Sahel, and less effective, than other European countries, this does not prevent it from being formidable in terms of information warfare, with "actions in the immaterial fields quite terrifying and extremely effective", according to the specialist.

It could even go beyond its role of "troll", via its subcontractors, the best known of which is the Wagner group.

Indeed, outside Ouagadougou at the time of the putsch, several demonstrations were organized by pro-Russian civil society movements, notably in Bobo-Dioulasso, the economic capital of Burkina Faso.

"We wonder to what extent there was no planning, collusion between this attempt at this successful coup d'etat by the military and certain small groups who brandished Russia as an alternative to this anti-French feeling", reports Niagalé Bagayoko.

For the researcher, this is a calculation of opportunity for Russia, to assert its position on the international scene in a context of war in Ukraine.