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A former French legionnaire was arrested in mid-August on charges of espionage in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou. Agents from the National Security Service (DSE) searched his hotel room and placed him under house arrest after finding incriminating material among his personal belongings.
The man, who currently works as a security consultant for an Australian mining company, was arrested after his contacts and communications were detected on his computer and mobile phone, Le Monde reported. Burkina Faso authorities deepened their suspicions after analyzing the devices, believing they were used for espionage.
The incident takes place against the backdrop of growing tensions between France and Burkina Faso, marked by a growing distrust of French nationals involved in sensitive sectors. In December 2023, four French DGSE agents had already been arrested for similar reasons, and negotiations between Paris and Ouagadougou on their release had reached an impasse.
As for the future of the case, some observers believe that the arrest may be motivated by professional competition, and rumors of condemnation from a former colleague reinforce this assumption. If true, this may be a move to eliminate competitors in the lucrative security consulting industry.
The French citizen was transferred to a villa in the Ouaga 2000 residential area of the Burkina Faso capital, pending the results of the investigation. This area is also where the four DGSE agents mentioned above are located, who are also under surveillance for suspected espionage activities.
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