Burkina Faso’s military junta expelled three French diplomats for “subversive activities,” according to a government statement on Thursday.

The diplomats, two of whom are political advisers, were given 48 hours to leave without revealing further details about the alleged subversive activities.

France’s foreign ministry responded in a statement rejecting “the baseless accusations made by the Burkina Faso authorities against our staff.”

Burkina Faso’s relations with its former colonizer have deteriorated since junta leaders severed military ties with Paris in 2023 and expelled hundreds of French troops within a month.

More than 60 years after Burkina Faso’s independence, French remains the official language, and France maintains strong economic and humanitarian aid ties with its former colony. However, as the Islamist extremist insurgency intensifies, anti-French sentiment is rising, in part because violence continues unabated.

Other Western countries will find their relations with Burkina Faso weakened if they criticize the military government. Instead, the junta is forming alliances with countries such as Mali and Niger, also led by juntas, and moving to improve relations with Russia and China.

Information for this report was provided in part by AFP, Reuters and The Associated Press.