The Taliban’s acting ambassador to Iran has held talks with his Burkina Faso counterpart in Tehran, signalling a growing effort by the West African nation to establish new partnerships in trade, mining, and vocational development.
According to Taliban-controlled media, the meeting between Maulvi Fazl Mohammad Haqqani and Burkina Faso’s Ambassador Mohammad Kabura concluded with both sides pledging enhanced cooperation in key sectors including agriculture, mining, commerce, and vocational training. The Afghan embassy in Tehran confirmed that both nations also plan to facilitate visits by private sector delegations to further economic relations.
“The parties emphasised the expansion of cooperation in the fields of trade, agriculture, mining, and the exchange of professional and vocational skills,” the embassy said in a statement issued after Monday’s meeting.
The diplomatic engagement comes amid a broader regional shift. Just last week, the commander of Iranian security forces visited neighbouring Niger and announced new areas of security collaboration, including training for the Niger Police and National Guard at the Iranian Police University. That meeting culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and Niger.
The Taliban, who regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, remain largely isolated on the international stage. Burkina Faso, meanwhile, continues to battle an intensifying insurgency linked to jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have destabilised much of the Sahel region.
Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali — all led by military juntas — withdrew from the ECOWAS regional bloc last year and established their own alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The bloc has severed defence ties with traditional Western allies including France and the United States, instead pivoting towards countries such as Russia and Iran for military and economic support.
Ulf Laessing, who heads the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Bamako, told the Associated Press that AES members have been actively seeking new international partners since their governments seized power.
“They want to rely less on Western companies and focus more on their so-called new partners,” Laessing said, noting that Iran has been strengthening its ties with the region and recently sent aid to Burkina Faso, with a shipment arriving in Ouagadougou.
