Burkina Faso seeks bilateral talks with Nigeria amid efforts to reset ties

• Wants review of cooperation, prospects for relations

• As Syndoph takes office as Nigeria’s Ambassador in Ouagadougou

The Government of Burkina Faso has called for a bilateral session with Nigeria to review existing areas of cooperation and explore new prospects for relations between the two West African countries, which could mark a fresh effort to ease recent diplomatic strains between Abuja and Ouagadougou.

The proposal came as Nigeria’s new Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Syndoph Paebi Endoni, presented a copy of his Letter of Credence to the Burkinabe Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Marie Karamoko Traoré, in Ouagadougou on Friday.

The overture assumes significance against recent tensions between Nigeria and Burkina Faso, particularly disagreements between Abuja and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, over regional security and the future of cooperation between the Sahelian bloc and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Relations suffered a fresh strain earlier this month when Burkina Faso summoned Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Ouagadougou over remarks by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu linking Nigeria’s security difficulties partly to instability in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The three AES countries rejected the assessment as simplistic and argued that they and Nigeria were confronting essentially the same transnational terrorist threat.

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister subsequently met the Nigerian diplomat in the presence of representatives of Mali and Niger to communicate the bloc’s objections.

The latest proposal for structured bilateral engagement is therefore expected to provide Abuja and Ouagadougou with an opportunity to address the disagreement, rebuild confidence and examine practical cooperation on security, trade and other areas of mutual interest.

It could also open another diplomatic channel for Nigeria to engage Burkina Faso on the broader position of the AES, which emerged from the Liptako-Gourma Charter signed by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in September 2023 and subsequently developed into a confederation.

The three countries formally ceased to be members of ECOWAS on January 29, 2025, following disputes with the regional organisation largely arising from military takeovers in the Sahel and ECOWAS’ insistence on restoring constitutional rule. ECOWAS nevertheless maintained concessions on the movement of people and goods while pursuing dialogue on future relations.

Nigeria and Burkina Faso have, however, maintained diplomatic channels despite the political divergence between ECOWAS and the AES.

In December 2025, President Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation led by then Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar to Ouagadougou following the detention of Nigerian Air Force personnel whose C-130 aircraft made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso.

The incident was resolved through diplomatic engagement, with the Nigerian crew released and both governments agreeing to continue consultations and deepen political, security and economic cooperation.

Nigeria has consistently maintained that its bilateral relationship with Burkina Faso extends beyond Burkina Faso’s withdrawal from ECOWAS and rests on longstanding political, economic and people-to-people ties, as well as common interests in counter-terrorism and regional stability.

At Friday’s meeting, Traoré expressed delight at formally receiving Endoni, describing the Ambassador’s arrival as another signal of efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister affirmed what he described as the cordial relationship between Nigeria and Burkina Faso, pointing to their shared heritage, history and common challenges.

He pledged to work closely with the Nigerian envoy to sustain and deepen the relationship and called for a bilateral session at which both countries could comprehensively review their cooperation and prospects for stronger relations.

Responding, Endoni conveyed President Tinubu’s appreciation to Burkina Faso’s President and Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for accepting his accreditation.

The Ambassador also expressed appreciation for the reception accorded him by the Burkinabe authorities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He pledged to cooperate with Traoré to address issues of common concern and find joint solutions to shared challenges.

Endoni stressed the need for African countries to resolve their differences through dialogue and mutual understanding rather than allow disagreements to undermine continental solidarity.

“As Africans, we must learn to accept ourselves and make efforts to resist the urge to wash our dirty linens outside,” the Ambassador said.

He expressed his readiness to work towards consolidating relations between Nigeria and Burkina Faso in what he described as a spirit of brotherhood.

Diplomatic sources see Burkina Faso’s request for a bilateral session as an opportunity for the Tinubu administration to consolidate the renewed outreach, particularly after the recent exchange over regional security.

Such talks could also offer Nigeria a platform for direct engagement on the AES position at a time when security challenges across the Sahel and West Africa increasingly require cooperation despite political differences.

Although Nigeria remains committed to ECOWAS and opposes unconstitutional changes of government, Abuja has increasingly emphasised dialogue with the AES countries, recognising the security and economic consequences of a prolonged rupture between the two blocs.

The shared threat posed by terrorist organisations and other armed groups operating across porous borders has added urgency to efforts to preserve channels of communication between Nigeria and the Sahel states.