Burkina Faso declares two EU diplomats persona non grata

On July 14, 2026, authorities in Burkina Faso declared two European Union diplomats stationed in Ouagadougou as persona non grata. The decision affects the EU delegation’s deputy head of mission, responsible for press and information, and a program officer, according to local reports.

The two diplomats have been given 72 hours to leave the country, effective from the date of notification. No official explanation has been provided regarding the grounds for this expulsion.

The move follows a tense diplomatic exchange in late June, when Burkina Faso’s foreign minister summoned the EU ambassador, Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, to protest a resolution passed by the European Parliament. The resolution was deemed “hostile” and an “interference in the country’s internal affairs.”

This expulsion marks another strain in the already deteriorating relations between Burkina Faso and the European Union, which had already seen the country sever diplomatic ties with France in late June.