In mid-December last year, four French people, members of the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), accused of espionage by Burkina Faso, were released after a year of detention thanks to the decisive mediation of the Morocco, recognized for its discreet and effective diplomacy in complex situations.
Benjamin Roger, journalist for the French daily Le Monde, reported the happy outcome of this affair in an article published Tuesday January 14 and entitled “How four French secret service agents, detained for a year in Burkina Faso, were released.”
“Property of the company Air Ocean Maroc, leader in business aviation in the Shereef Kingdom, a device was sent by the Moroccan intelligence services. Three hours later, four passengers rushed in: these agents of the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), the French secret services, have just spent more than a year in detention in Burkina Faso and are finally getting ready , to return to France. At 11:52 p.m., the plane took off again, heading towards Casablanca,” said Benjamin Roger. And added: “In Paris, there is general relief at the DGSE headquarters, boulevard Mortier: it is the end of one of the most serious internal crises of the “box”, where the fate of the quartet never ends. no more causing a stir.”
The French journalist, invited last Wednesday on the sets of France 24 precisely to talk about this operation, recalled that the French President, Emmanuel Macron, spoke on Wednesday December 18, 2024, on the telephone with HM King Mohammed VI in order to thank the Sovereign warmly for the success of his mediation which “made possible the release of our four compatriots held for a year in Burkina Faso”.
This mediation highlights not only the importance of strategic alliances in Africa, but also the growing role of Morocco as a key player in the continent’s security affairs. Morocco’s ability to intervene in delicate situations like this reinforces its status as a privileged partner for France and other Western nations.
-Relations between France and Burkina Faso have deteriorated considerably since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in September 2022. The French embassy has only been managed by a charge d’affaires since the Burkinabé authorities obtained the departure of ambassador Luc Hallade.
In addition, two political advisors at the embassy were declared “persona non grata” last April for “subversive activities” and asked to leave the country.
T.M
