CameroonOnline.ORG | Burkina Faso has refused to accept migrants deported from the United States, prompting Washington to temporarily suspend visa issuance in the West African nation. The move marks another episode in the deteriorating relations between Ouagadougou and Washington.
An Open Diplomatic Dispute
Burkina Faso’s foreign minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, confirmed on Thursday that he had rejected a U.S. proposal to transfer migrants from third countries to Burkina Faso.
“Is this a way to put pressure on us? Is this blackmail? Whatever it may be, Burkina Faso is a land of dignity, a destination, not a place of expulsion,” he said on national television.
According to Traoré, the offer had been made several times by the U.S. embassy in Ouagadougou before being definitively rejected by his government.
U.S. Response: Visa Suspension
Just hours after the minister’s remarks, the U.S. Embassy announced the temporary suspension of visa services in the country.
Burkinabè nationals will now have to travel to Lomé, the capital of neighboring Togo, to apply for tourist, student, business, or immigrant visas.
According to a diplomatic note cited by local media, the United States explained that Burkina Faso had been placed on a list of countries whose nationals had failed to comply with certain U.S. visa-related obligations.
The U.S. State Department justified the measure as part of Washington’s commitment to “ending illegal immigration and strengthening U.S. border security.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not yet commented publicly.
Strained Relations with the West
Led since a 2022 military coup by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso has increasingly distanced itself from Western powers.
The head of state, who presents himself as a champion of pan-Africanism, advocates for independence from what he calls “imperialist domination.”
The refusal to take in U.S. deportees fits into this broader pattern of diplomatic rupture, marked by the country’s withdrawal from ECOWAS and closer ties with Russia.
Precedents Across Africa
The United States has already reached similar agreements with several African countries, including Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan, all of which have accepted migrants deported from the U.S.
However, other nations—such as Nigeria—have refused to participate, citing reasons of sovereignty and national dignity.
A Strong Political Symbol
For the Burkinabè government, the issue goes beyond migration policy.
“This proposal, which we considered indecent, goes against the very principle of dignity,” Minister Traoré stated.
By standing firm against Washington, Ouagadougou seeks to reaffirm its diplomatic independence at a time when many African nations are reassessing their relationships with Western powers.