400 French soldiers stationed in Burkina Faso are to be withdrawn within a month, the African nation has stated.

According to government spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, the nation sought to protect itself as it battled Islamic radicalism.

After learning on Saturday from official media that Burkina Faso was terminating a 2018 agreement with France, French President Emmanuel Macron demanded an explanation from the authorities.

According to the report, France was still required to provide equipment as support for the Burkinabe government.

Mr. Macron claimed that the alleged comments had caused "huge uncertainty."

After a disagreement with the military authorities in neighbouring Mali, French forces withdrew from that nation last year. Effort Barkhane, France's eight-year anti-jihadist operation in the Sahel, likewise came to an end.

In West Africa, France has maintained strong military relations with several of its former colonies, and it has been assisting a number of countries in their efforts to combat Islamist extremists active throughout the region.