In this file photograph taken on November 11, 2019, an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) of the French Army patrols a rural area during the Bourgou IV operation in northern Burkina Faso along the border with Mali and Niger. (MICHELE CATTANI / AFP)

PARIS - The French foreign ministry said on Thursday it was recalling its ambassador to Burkina Faso, citing "the context of recent developments", a day after Paris announced it would withdraw its troops from the African country.

"We have decided to recall our ambassador in Paris, to conduct consultations on the state and perspectives of our bilateral cooperation", the ministry said in a statement.

Protests by opponents of the French military presence have surged in Burkina, partly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to tackle an Islamist insurgency that has spread in recent years from neighboring Mali.

France on Wednesday said it would withdraw its troops in the next month after the military junta asked it to leave, in a move that will further reduce its presence in a region facing a growing Islamist insurgency.

France retains some 200-400 special forces in Burkina. It withdrew forces from Mali last year after the military junta there deployed Russian military contractors in the country.

On Monday, Burkina said it had decided to end a military accord that allowed French troops to fight insurgents on its territory because the government wants the country to defend itself

On Monday, Burkina said it had decided to end a military accord that allowed French troops to fight insurgents on its territory because the government wants the country to defend itself.

In a statement sent to Reuters, the French ministry said it had received notice on Tuesday, Jan 24 that a 2018 agreement on the status of French troops in the country had been terminated.

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"In accordance with the terms of the agreement, the denunciation takes effect one month after receipt of the written notification. We will comply with the terms of this agreement by complying with this request."

Burkina's national television reported on Saturday that the government had suspended a 2018 military accord with Paris on Jan 18, giving France one month to pull its troops out.

The West African country is facing an Islamist insurgency by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, which have taken over large swathes of land and displaced millions of people in the wider Sahel region, just south of the Sahara.

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French defense and diplomatic sources said the special forces could be moved to Niger, where a large contingent of French and European forces are now based. Paris also has a large military presence in Chad.