Foreign relations of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has excellent relations with
European--including the
European Union--
North African, and
Asian donors, which are all active development partners.
France, in particular, continues to provide significant aid and supports Compaore's developing role as a regional powerbroker. Compaore has mediated a political crisis in
Togo and helped to resolve the Tuareg conflict in Niger. Several thousand
Tuareg refugees from
Mali, who sought protection in Burkina, will be repatriated by the end of
1997. Burkina maintains cordial relations with
Libya. Burkina maintains diplomatic relations with the
Republic of China (usually referred to as "Taiwan") instead of the
People's Republic of China.
In response to the drought that plagued the Sahel countries from 1968 to 1974, the U.S. provided significant emergency food assistance to Burkina Faso. Following this, the United States and other international donors began to work with the Sahel countries to plan and implement long-term development assistance programs.