Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, becoming the latest West African nation to distance itself from its former colonial ruler after years of deteriorating ties.

The decision was announced in a statement released on Friday by Burkinabe Communications Minister Gilbert Ouedraogo and posted by the country’s official information service. It said the move took effect on June 26.

Ouagadougou accused France of pursuing neocolonial ambitions, interfering in Burkina Faso’s internal affairs, and backing “subversive networks” and “terrorists.”

“Faced with these imperialist aims of domination over our country and the enslavement of our people, we have chosen responsibility and sovereignty,” the statement said. France has previously denied accusations that it supports terrorism in the Sahel.

The statement said the decision applies only to diplomatic relations and does not affect the historical, cultural, and social ties between the Burkinabe and French peoples.

France condemned the move as a “hostile and baseless decision” that “illustrated the troubling drift of the Burkinabe authorities,” according to AFP.

Diplomatic relations between Burkina Faso and France have steadily deteriorated since the military seized power in Ouagadougou in 2022. The new authorities ended military cooperation with Paris, forcing French troops to leave the country the following year.

Paris has lost its foothold in several former colonies amid a wave of anti-French sentiment fueled by allegations of military failures and interference. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have expelled French troops and accused their former metropole of supporting armed groups fueling the deadly jihadist insurgency in the region.

France has previously denied the accusations and said it does not recognize the legitimacy of the military governments in the three West African countries, and is backing efforts to restore civilian rule.