Unexpected Opening from Burkina Faso to the United States: Health Diplomacy

This is what may look as a surprise who happened on the 25th of February when Burkina Faso and the US “signed a five-year bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that reinforces regional health security in the Sahel while advancing Burkina Faso’s capacity to independently manage infectious disease threats before they reach our shores.” asPrincipal Deputy Spokesperson said. Zimbabwe and Kenya dismissed the offer over concerns about sovereignty while Burkina Faso is the only member of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES,formed with Mali and Niger) to have accepted it. The 147 million dollars deal covers the construction of sanitary infrastructures and prevention against infectious diseases.

This is a sign of overture to cooperation from the Trump administration who interrupted USAID at the beginning of this term which Burkina Faso benefited. This decision happens only two months after they suspended entry to the US territory from the countries of theAES over security concerns in December 2025. But this also seems a bit unsuspected from Captain Ibrahim Traore, interim president of Burkina Faso. He who became famous for his use of anti-imperialist rhetoric in his speeches particularly about their national sovereignty after expelling French forces out of the country in 2023. This shows that he may be able to make more pragmatic and realist decisions outside of a common foreign policy with Mali and Niger.

The Us also wish to increase cooperation in security and defense especially in the fight against terrorism as last week dozens of people were killed in an attack attributed to the JNIM (Support Group for Islam and Muslims). This shows a shift in their policy towards the nature of those governments born out ofcoups matters less than the situations they must face.

This may also be part of a global strategy to counter the influence of Russia in this region as they lifted the sanctions from the defense minister of Mali, following a visit inBamakofrom Nick Checker, leader of the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs,last month. At the same time, Algiers reopened the dialogue with Niger and sent their Minister of Energy and Mining to Ouagadougou for a state visit. Thiscould lead to a mediation from the two Sahelian states toward a reconciliation between Algeria and Mali.