France's Sahel Dominion Ends as Junta Alliance Turns East

Burkina Faso severed diplomatic relations with France on June 26, 2026, completing a regional realignment that has locked France out of the Sahel entirely. Mali and Niger preceded Ouagadougou in expelling French forces and pivoting toward Russian security partnerships. The three countries now form the Alliance of Sahel States, a bloc united against both Western influence and jihadist insurgency. France's post-colonial security architecture—built over decades through Operation Barkhane—has collapsed in its last major theater.