France's Security Hold on the Sahel Collapses as Three Nations Pivot to Russia

Burkina Faso severed ties with France on June 26, 2026, completing a regional shift that has expelled French forces from Mali, Niger, and now Ouagadougou. The three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States, uniting against Western influence and jihadist insurgency alike. France's Operation Barkhane—its cornerstone security framework in the region for decades—has ended in its final stronghold.