The exchange of words between Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, and Ibrahim Traoré, the military leader of Burkina Faso, stems from a diplomatic spat that escalated in early 2025.
The tension arose after Macron, in a speech to the diplomatic corps on January 6, 2025, remarked that some African leaders had “forgotten to say thank you” to France for its military interventions against jihadists in the Sahel region, suggesting an “ingratitude” on their part. He stated, “I think they forgot to thank us. It doesn’t matter, it will come with time. Ingratitude—I know this well—is a disease that cannot be transmitted to humans.” These comments were perceived as condescending by several African leaders, including Traoré.
In response, on January 13, 2025, during a ceremony in Ouagadougou, Captain Ibrahim Traoré sharply criticized Macron’s remarks. He declared, “He insulted all Africans. (…) This is how this gentleman sees Africa, sees Africans. We are not human beings in his eyes.” Traoré turned the accusation of ingratitude back on Macron, asserting, “If anyone is ungrateful, it is him. France exists today thanks to our ancestors. They should pray for us.” He further urged African nations to end military agreements with France, stating, “If you want a break with these imperialist forces, it’s simple, we denounce the agreements. If we don’t denounce the agreements, just saying they leave the [military] bases, we have done nothing.”
Traoré emphasized the need for African independence, adding, “Africans must wake up. We must work to be independent. We must decolonize mentalities.”
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This exchange reflects broader tensions between France and Burkina Faso, which have worsened since Traoré’s coup in September 2022. His leadership has seen a decisive shift away from French influence, including the expulsion of French troops in 2023.
Macron’s remarks, intended to defend France’s role in Africa, instead ignited a firestorm of criticism, with Traoré’s rebuttal framing it as a neo-colonial insult, amplifying calls for sovereignty across the continent.
