BURKINA-SECURITY/FRANCE (UPDATE 1, TV):UPDATE 1-Burkina Faso marks official end of French military operations on its soil
Demonstrators in Ouagadougou demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces from Burkina Faso last month. The presence of a poster supporting Russia's president Vladimir Putin is an indication of the complex political undercurrents shaping the region.
In a statement, the General Staff of the Burkinabe Armed Forces said it had participated with the leadership of France’s Sabre special forces in “a solemn flag-lowering ceremony marking the official end of the taskforce’s operations on Burkinabe soil”.The departure of the some 400 French special forces from Burkina Faso follows a sharp deterioration in relations that included Ouagadougou asking France to recall its ambassador.
Over the past week, a small group of anti-French protesters has met each evening in Ouagadougou to watch out for signs of French withdrawal. Some of the group also held Russian flags - a sign of the complicated political undercurrents shaping the region.