Burkina Faso Refuses U.S. Deportation Proposal Amid Tensions

Dakar, Oct 10 (AP) - Burkina Faso has rejected a proposal from the Trump administration to accept deportees from the United States.

The West African nation was approached to consider receiving non-citizens expelled by the U.S., along with its own nationals, according to Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore. He made this statement on Thursday during a national television broadcast. "Naturally, this proposal, which we deemed indecent at the time, is totally contrary to the value of dignity, which is part of the very essence of the vision of Capt. Ibrahim Traore," he stated, referring to the country's military leader.

The announcement came soon after the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou suspended most visa services for residents of Burkina Faso, redirecting applications to its embassy in neighboring Togo. The embassy provided no explanation for this decision.

Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore criticized this as a potential "pressure tactic," after receiving a U.S. diplomatic note that accused Burkinabe nationals of failing to comply with visa use regulations. "Burkina Faso is a land of dignity, not deportation," he asserted. The U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Since July, over 40 deportees have been sent to Africa following largely undisclosed agreements between the Trump administration and at least five African nations under a new third-country deportation program. This approach has faced opposition from rights groups and other critics.

The U.S. has dispatched deportees to the small African nations of Eswatini, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Ghana. An agreement exists with Uganda, although no deportations have been reported there so far.

Currently, six deportees remain detained in an undisclosed location in South Sudan, while Rwanda has not disclosed the whereabouts of seven deportees. Last month, eleven of the fourteen deportees sent to Ghana took legal action against the government, alleging harsh conditions at a military camp outside the capital, Accra.

Human Rights Watch reported last month that the Trump administration offered financial incentives to some African nations to accept deportees. According to the rights group, written agreements revealed that Eswatini is slated to receive USD 5.1 million for migration and border management from the U.S., while Rwanda will obtain USD 7.5 million. (AP) SKS SKS

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