Burkina : les étudiants doivent désormais obtenir une autorisation du gouvernement pour étudier à l'étranger
The government of Burkina Faso issued a decree on Thursday requiring any Burkinabe student wishing to study abroad to obtain authorization from the Ministry of Higher Education.
This country, whose military regime has been led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré since a coup in September 2022, pursues a sovereignist policy, repressive towards any critical voice, hostile to Westerners and claims not to be a democracy.
"Under the terms of this decree, any Burkinabe student who wants to begin studies abroad, whether receiving a scholarship or using their own funds, is required to obtain prior authorization from the ministry in charge of Higher Education," the government announced in a statement following a Council of Ministers meeting.
"According to the minister (Adjima Thiombiano, editor's note), the aim is to allow the State to monitor training content in accordance with the current vision of the government, to avoid social cases after studies abroad and to prepare the professional integration of these students," he explained.
Several thousand Burkinabe students live outside their country; there were approximately 2,500 in France in 2022 according to Campus France, the French agency for the promotion of higher education abroad.
Burkinabe students wishing to study abroad had already been affected in 2023 when France, the former colonial power with which Burkina Faso maintains frosty relations, suspended the issuance of visas in Ouagadougou amid high tensions.
This decision also concerned Mali and Niger, also led by juntas hostile to Paris and with whom Burkina Faso is allied within the confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Furthermore, in May 2025 the government issued a decree establishing a "mandatory patriotic immersion" for students admitted to the baccalaureate.
Some 60,000 high school graduates had to take part in this month-long training course, intended to create "patriots" ready to "defend" their country, which has been plagued by deadly jihadist violence for about ten years.
Its monitoring is required for enrollment in universities in Burkina Faso.
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