French hostages in Burkina Faso: did Morocco pay a ransom?

Thanks to an intervention by King Mohammed VI, Morocco recently obtained the release of four French agents from the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), detained since December 1, 2023 by the junta in Burkina Faso. The kingdom would, however, have made a payment in return for the service received.

According to a French diplomatic source, the President of the Transition of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, had requested around 150 million euros to obtain the release of the four French agents of the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), accused of espionage, reveals Le Monde. A sum that Morocco would have paid. “Morocco paid 60 million euros and gave equipment to the Burkinabés,” says a source close to the Moroccan Directorate General of Studies and Documentation (DGED). This information will, however, be “formally” denied by the DGSE.