Morocco has mediated the release of four French nationals held for a year in detention in Burkina Faso, the Moroccan foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Four French nationals held in Burkina Faso for over a year on espionage accusations have been released, France's foreign intelligence service said Thursday, with Paris thanking Morocco for its mediation in the case.

In a significant diplomatic development, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso has agreed to release four French nationals detained in Ouagadougou since December 2023. This decision follows mediation efforts by King Mohammed VI of Morocco,

President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Wednesday by phone with King Mohammed VI to thank him for the success of the mediation that enabled the release of four French citizens who had been detained for a year in Burkina Faso.