Ambassador: France waging same disinformation war against Azerbaijan as it does against Burkina Faso – INTERVIEW

Vinta Somen, the non-resident Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Azerbaijan, has given an interview to Report’s Türkish bureau.

In the interview, the Ankara-based ambassador particularly emphasized the need to end the disinformation war that has been carried out against his country, Burkina Faso, a former French colony.

- Last year you presented your credentials to the President of Azerbaijan. What are your main directions of your activities as ambassador in Azerbaijan? What areas could be priorities for the development of relations between the two countries?

- Before returning to your questions, allow me to thank your media for choosing to hand over your microphones and dictaphone to the non-resident ambassadors in Azerbaijan. This highly commendable exercise allows for visibility on the activities underway or envisaged as part of our mission.

Azerbaijan is an important partner for Burkina Faso. Our diplomatic relations date back to 1994, a few years after the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. After about twenty years of cooperation, we were given the opportunity to take stock. Indeed, a high-level delegation went to Burkina Faso and had exchanges with the Burkinabe authorities. The observation that emerged is that despite some achievements, our cooperation remains at a rather embryonic level. The two parties worked to identify areas of mutual interest. My mission in this context will consist of working on the revitalization and revival of cooperation between our countries, in order to make the Ouagadougou-Baku axis one of the strategic axes of Burkina diplomacy.

We are currently working on finalizing a framework agreement for cooperation between the two countries. This step is important in that it will establish the legal framework for all other actions at sectoral level.

Nevertheless, and pending the signing of this agreement, concrete actions are underway in several varied areas. This demonstrates the willingness of both parties to mark this revitalization with concrete actions and move forward.

- During the meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, he mentioned the need to identify areas of cooperation in the economic and trade sphere and stressed the importance of exploring opportunities for Azerbaijan to invest in Burkina Faso. What can you say about this issue?

- Burkina Faso is located in the heart of West Africa. This geographical position gives it a certain strategic advantage in several fields including that of the economy and trade.
In addition, and internally, our country has an attractive environment conducive to the promotion of the economy and trade exchanges. One can cite a favorable investment code and a business climate adapted to the needs of investors and commercial exchanges. Our two countries have in the economic and commercial field, both countries have potentials that we will work to explore and exploit.

We are willing to facilitate and secure the investments of Azerbaijan in Burkina Faso and encourage Burkinabe businessmen to take an interest in the Republic of Azerbaijan with which I am sure there are business opportunities in a win-win spirit.

- The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Burkina Faso was - import-export - until 2023. What progress is expected in the trade turnover between the two countries during your mission? What is it possible for Burkina Faso to buy from Azerbaijan? What products does Azerbaijan mainly buy from Burkina Faso?

- The volume of trade between 2021 and 2023 suggests that the level is still quite low. Essentially limited to import-export until then, this volume of trade must be able to evolve towards more structuring investments, wealth creators for investors, technology transfer, but also job creators for our mostly young and dynamic populations.

There is a lot of potential and business opportunities, but also various sectors not yet explored in each of our countries. We will work with the Azerbaijani side to ensure that the volume of trade between Burkina Faso and Azerbaijan reflects the quality of our bilateral relations.

In terms of trade, many sectors could interest Burkina Faso. These include the field of hydrocarbons, energy and particularly green energy, of which Azerbaijan has proven expertise, advanced technologies in several fields, products from the defense industry, those from the agriculture sector, etc.

In return, Azerbaijan may be interested in Burkinabe products such as agricultural products like cotton, of which we are among the leading producers in Africa; sesame; handicraft products; and shea butter, which has been labelled since 2021. There are also products from the mining sector such as gold, of which Burkina Faso is among the largest producers in West Africa, and many other minerals such as manganese, phosphate, etc.

- What can you say about cultural relationships between two countries? What plans do you have for the development of relations between peoples and cultures in the humanitarian field?

- It must be recognized, as in several sectors, that the field of culture is also at an embryonic stage.

Culture is the identity of any nation and we remain attached to our culture just like Azerbaijan. Each of our countries already organizes great cultural activities for which we can support each other. Azerbaijan and Burkina Faso also support each other culturally, among other things, in international forums. In our effort to regain our sovereignty, we also have many cultural projects that we can discuss with Azerbaijan.

Our country is a major cultural crossroads in Africa, as it hosts cultural events of international stature, including the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), which is held every odd year, the International Craft Fair of Ouagadougou (SIAO) every year pair. Internally, we conduct several other cultural activities, the most important of which is the National Week of Culture (SNC) which celebrates every two years the richness and cultural diversity of different regions of Burkina Faso, individual talents, etc.
Handicrafts is one of the areas where Burkina Faso and Azerbaijan can also have partnerships, something that truly allows for closer ties between peoples.

We will encourage the participation of cultural actors from both countries to participate reciprocally in cultural activities such as fairs and other events in the cultural field. We will be delighted to welcome the Azerbaijani artisans at the next SIAO in October 2026.

- Diplomats in Azerbaijan have repeatedly visited the liberated territories. Do you have any plans to visit Karabakh?

- We will be more than happy to visit the liberated territories of Nagorno-Karabakh if given the opportunity. It is an opportunity offered to touch with a finger the reality of the terrain and thereby deconstruct certain clichés received.

- When you presenting your credentials to the President of Azerbaijan, you mentioned France's biased position towards Azerbaijan after the Karabakh victory. As a representative of a country that was subjected to French colonization and oppression, what is your position on this? How do you estimate the support provided by Azerbaijan in the fight against colonialism and neocolonialism?

- France is waging the same disinformation war against Azerbaijan as it is waging against my country, Burkina Faso. From our point of view, this media war is an integral part of the imperialist war that has been imposed on us for more than ten years now and on the countries of the Sahel in general. We must denounce it and condemn it vigorously.
I think that France, as a former colonizer and strong from the influence it has on certain international media, manipulates and abuses part of international opinion towards unavowed objectives.

We call for vigilance and discernment from all parties in the face of this disinformation maneuver.

I think that this is also the place for our two countries to explore possible avenues of cooperation in this area of the fight against disinformation from wherever it comes.

The neocolonial policy of exploitation and enslavement of France in our countries is the result, among other things, of its lack of clarity regarding the evolution of peoples. The contempt for our countries, the condescension of certain leaders, the lack of respect, constitute serious attacks on the sovereignty of our States and this is no longer tolerable nowaday. France must change the software in these relationships with Burkina Faso, the countries of the AES, and many other countries in Africa or elsewhere in the world like Azerbaijan, in their search for their true independence.