Iran plans to build a refinery in Burkina Faso: A step towards a closer alliance?

Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivia Rouamba, visited Tehran on Monday 4 September 2023. In addition to the usual mutual commitments to promote economic, commercial, scientific and educational cooperation, the visit also saw the announcement of the construction of a refinery in Burkina Faso by Iran. However, no details were provided on the details, timetable, feasibility or sustainability of such a project for energy production in Burkina Faso. By all appearances, this announcement marks a significant development in relations between the two countries. Iran's growing interest opens up new prospects for its influence on the continent at a time when the West's presence is shrinking in favour of players such as China, Russia and Turkey. Indeed, the Islamic Republic of Iran is seeking to extend its influence in Africa, including by supporting various Islamic movements and regimes or those hostile to the Western bloc. This has led to a gradual strengthening of ties between Iran and several African countries, particularly those with Muslim-majority populations. These ties have strengthened over the years, as demonstrated by the visit of the Burkina Faso Foreign Minister to Iran and the discussions on economic and political cooperation between the two countries. This new partnership also reflects Burkina Faso's wider strategy of diversifying its partnerships. The Mouvement Patriotique pour le Salut et la Restauration, the junta in power in the country since September 2022, is seeking to strengthen its international alliances to counter the threat of diplomatic isolation caused by the deterioration of its relations with part of the ECOWAS bloc (Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal) and European countries. It should be remembered that France, once a key partner of the Land of the Integral Men, is engaged in a political-diplomatic tug-of-war with the new authorities in Ouagadougou following the second military coup in September 2022. On 18 January, the Ouagadougou authorities demanded that the French Sabre force stationed in the country should leave within a month. Paris had also recalled its ambassador posted in Ouagadougou at the request of the Burkina Faso authorities. On 6 August, France decided to suspend its official development assistance and budgetary support. According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, current French development aid projects for Burkina Faso amount to €482 million, while budgetary aid scheduled for 2022 is €13 million. Air France has also suspended its flights to and from Burkina Faso. The French company CAPAGO, which handles visa applications for France, announced in a press release on its website that it was suspending the issue of visas to Burkina Faso. It should be remembered that these recent manoeuvres by Paris were taken at a time when Burkina Faso and Mali have declared their solidarity with the military who have taken power in Niger. By diversifying its diplomatic support, Ibrahim Traoré's regime hopes to mitigate as far as possible the inevitable negative consequences of this growing isolation on the financing of Burkina Faso's economy and, above all, the fight against terrorist groups, whose latest attack on 4 September in the north of the country killed around fifty members of the army and VDP civilian auxiliaries.