Relationship dossier
Burkina Faso
Ivory Coast
Relationship assessment
Longstanding cooperation and economic ties coexist with recent security-related tensions.
Burkina Faso toward Ivory Coast
-5Burkina Faso participates in bilateral cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire under the 2014 treaty of friendship and cooperation. More recently, Burkina Faso’s authorities accused Ivorian territory of being used to threaten their government, contributing to strained relations.
Ivory Coast toward Burkina Faso
+5Côte d’Ivoire participates in bilateral cooperation with Burkina Faso under the 2014 treaty of friendship and cooperation and recurring bilateral consultations. Ivorian gendarmes were detained in Burkina Faso after a border crossing, though the available details of the incident and its resolution are uncertain.
Overall relationship
+5The 2014 treaty and recurring bilateral consultations provide a durable framework for cooperation, while close economic links add to the relationship’s practical importance. Security allegations and border-related incidents have introduced friction, leaving the overall relationship cooperative but unsettled.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire have longstanding economic and institutional links, including a 2014 treaty of friendship and cooperation and recurring bilateral consultations. Their relationship has also faced security-related friction, including Burkina Faso’s allegations that Ivorian territory was being used to threaten its government and the detention of Ivorian gendarmes after a border crossing. The extent of current cooperation and the handling of these tensions remain unclear.
Areas of tension
- Burkina Faso’s allegations that Ivorian territory was being used to threaten its government.
- The detention of Ivorian gendarmes following a border crossing into Burkina Faso.
Key developments
Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire concluded a treaty of friendship and cooperation, establishing a framework for regular bilateral consultations and joint cooperation.
Ivorian gendarmes were detained in Burkina Faso after a border crossing, amid wider security-related tensions.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation under the 2014 treaty are unclear.
- The circumstances and resolution of recent security and border-related disputes remain uncertain.