Amendments tabled by The Left Group in the European Parliament on 17 June 2026 would fundamentally reframe a joint resolution on Burkina Faso, shifting the focus from condemning the junta's crackdown on civic space to blaming Western military interventions for instability in the Sahel. The seven amendments, authored by MEP Marc Botenga on behalf of The Left, introduce new recitals and operative paragraphs that emphasise European responsibility, self-determination, and anti-imperialism, diverging sharply from the original motion co-signed by the PPE, S&D, ECR, Renew, and Verts/ALE groups.
The amendments, which are still to be examined and voted on, propose several key changes. Amendment 1 inserts a recital blaming the NATO invasion of Libya for creating lasting instability in the Sahel, enabling the presence of armed groups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Amendment 2 adds that years of French and European military operations failed to establish peace and security. Operative amendments call for addressing structural inequalities and respecting self-determination (Amendment 3), express solidarity with the Burkinabe people defending sovereignty (Amendment 4), recognise Burkina Faso's right to determine its own future free from external interference (Amendment 5), and directly condemn European policies that prioritised militarisation, border externalisation, and corporate interests over local rights (Amendment 6). Amendment 7 supports diplomatic initiatives by Benin and Senegal to de-escalate tensions between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States.
The amendments represent a clear cleavage between The Left and the mainstream groups that drafted the original resolution. The Left's position emphasises European culpability and respect for national sovereignty, while the original motion condemns the Burkinabe authorities' repression. No other group has tabled amendments to this file. The amendments, if adopted, would transform the resolution into a critique of European and Western policy in the Sahel, with potential impacts on EU foreign policy framing and relations with Sahel states. The joint resolution, as amended, will be put to a plenary vote; the outcome will determine whether the Parliament adopts a critical stance toward the junta or toward European interventions. Stakeholders affected include EU foreign policy institutions, Sahel governments, civil society groups in the region, and European defence and corporate interests active in the Sahel.
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