The UK sent its special envoy to Ouagadougou. Burkina Faso did not send one to London.

Jonathan Croft, the UK's Special Envoy for the Sahel, arrived in Ouagadougou on Monday, October 5, 2026, accompanied by British Ambassador Agnus McKee. He was received by Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré. The meeting was framed by the British side as a continuation of discussions held in New York last September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly .

The agenda was specific. Investments. Climate resilience. And a broader approach to counterterrorism .

Croft did something British diplomats rarely do in public. He praised the AES side event at the UN, saying it helped "correct erroneous narratives" and showcase the confederation's progress. He acknowledged that terrorism has no borders and called for a more comprehensive sub-regional approach .

Minister Traoré's response was measured but firm. A global approach could work, he said, but only if trust is rebuilt and the definition of terrorism is harmonized across all affected states. In other words: you cannot fight a war with us when you cannot even agree on who the enemy is.

This is the shift. France has no ambassador in Ouagadougou. The United States sends sanctions. The United Kingdom sends a special envoy to solicit partnership. And Burkina Faso receives him at the foreign ministry level, not the presidency.

The Ouagadougou-London axis is being rebuilt. But on Burkina Faso's terms.

#BurkinaFaso #UK

UK Probes Passenger Train Derailment in Essex After 62 Escape Injury

Britain’s Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has launched an investigation into the derailment of a Greater Anglia passenger train in Essex, two weeks after the incident left all 62 people on board without injuries.

The train derailed at around 2:08pm on August 14 while travelling from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street at approximately 77mph. The incident occurred about 2.1 miles (3.4km) south-east of Wickford station.

According to the RAIB, the train consisted of two Class 720 electric multiple units, each made up of five vehicles. The rearmost vehicle derailed, with its wheels subsequently running along the sleepers and ballast for approximately 1.5 miles (2.4km).

Despite the distance travelled after the derailment and the train's speed, none of the 62 people on board was injured. Investigators are now examining the circumstances that caused the derailment and will assess the condition of the train, track and other relevant factors.

The investigation is expected to establish the cause of the incident and determine whether any safety recommendations are necessary to prevent similar derailments in the future. #UK