Belgium has pledged €40 million in development aid to Burkina Faso for the period after 2027, following a two-day working visit to Brussels by the West African country's foreign minister.

Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré visited Brussels on 4 and 5 November, where he met Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot. The commitment will be channelled through Enabel, the Belgian development agency, and continues a cooperation partnership that has been active since 2023.

What the money will support

The funding is expected to support education, healthcare and local governance, and to improve access to clean water, vocational training and agricultural productivity in rural areas affected by climate change and insecurity. It follows a 2023–2027 cooperation programme valued at €34.5 million.

Unlike previous allocations, the new pledge is a forward-looking commitment that has not yet been disbursed. Belgian agencies and partners already active in Burkina Faso will oversee how the projects are delivered.

A pragmatic turn for Ouagadougou

The pledge comes as Burkina Faso, led by President Ibrahim Traoré since a 2022 coup, pursues a foreign policy built on sovereignty, the expulsion of French military forces and closer alignment with Russia. Regional outlets report that high-profile talks in Moscow have yet to produce immediate funds for Ouagadougou, while the country faces a projected 2026 budget deficit of nearly 487 billion CFA francs, about 4 percent of GDP.

The €40 million commitment does not by itself mark a full diplomatic thaw, observers say, and deeper steps such as renewed trade agreements and resumed security cooperation would be needed for a full rapprochement.