The United States continues its contacts with countries in the African Sahel… this time Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Karamouko Jean-Marie Traoré on Wednesday received the US State Department’s High Commissioner for African Affairs Nick Checker, more than a month after he was received by Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, reflecting a new direction by the US.
Checker said he had a very productive dialogue with Burkina Faso’s head of diplomacy about the two countries’ desire to revitalize their bilateral relations and work together on issues of common interest.
“We’ve to learn from the past, it’s about moving forward, rebuilding trust, and cooperating on issues that matter to all of us,” he said in a statement after the talks.
“The United States wants to protect its borders, as well as Burkina Faso, and the United States wants to protect its citizens, which Burkina Faso wants as well, and the United States seeks win-win partnerships, which we also advocate,” Traoré said.
In a statement after the talks with the US official, he stressed the need for international partners to recognize the sovereignty and reality of the Sahel countries and expressed hope that Washington’s desire to restore confidence will be translated into concrete actions.
The US and Burkinabe sides agreed to deepen dialogue, define practical actions, and support more dynamic trade relations that benefit the peoples of both countries, the Bureau of African Affairs said.
Checker met with Traoré in Ouagadougou to reaffirm US respect for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and to promote shared priorities, according to a statement.
For its part, the Burkinabe Foreign Ministry said that the United States aims through this visit to relaunch dialogue and strengthen cooperation relations with Burkina Faso, while respecting the sovereignty of the land of honorable men.
The ministry said on its Facebook account that the new momentum through which Washington intends to work with Ouagadougou includes cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism, in particular the lifting of the suspension of arms exports to Burkina Faso, as well as the economic and commercial sectors.
US relations with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have been strained under former President Joe Biden over the US position on military coups by the three countries.
Under current President Donald Trump, the authorities of these countries made a decision in December 2025 to apply a mutual travel ban to Americans, after adding the three countries to the White House’s travel ban list.
