The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has suggested that Bertrand Cochery, who is currently the ambassador to Chad, be appointed as the ambassador to Burkina Faso.
Indeed, the French Council of Ministers has approved Bertrand Cochery’s candidacy, and last week, the Burkinabè authorities received a letter requesting their approval. According to Africa Intelligence, the French ambassador to N’Djamena is expected to resign in the coming months.
However, if Bertrand Cochery’s candidacy is approved by Ouagadougou, he will take up his fourth consecutive ambassadorial post, having previously served in Conakry, Brazzaville, and N’Djamena. He is considered highly experienced and competent in African affairs. Additionally, he has experience in the Sahel region, as he has been the ambassador to Chad since 2019.
Since March of this year, Paris had suggested appointing Mohamed Bouabdallah, who is currently the deputy director of political affairs for the Transition authorities in Burkina Faso. However, the wait has been prolonged, and Ouagadougou has not responded.
It is worth noting that since the September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, which overthrew Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, relations between Ouagadougou and Paris have deteriorated.
