The Federal Republic of Germany and Burkina Faso have maintained diplomatic relations since the latter gained independence in 1960. In 2019, the last elected President, Roch Marc Kaboré, travelled twice to Germany, while Federal Chancellor Merkel visited Burkina Faso in May 2019. Cooperation focuses on using civilian instruments to provide the most direct support possible for the people of Burkina Faso.

Development cooperation remains the most important pillar. Priorities are the promotion of agriculture and food security, water and sanitation supply, as well as decentralisation. Furthermore, Germany is actively engaged in helping to provide humanitarian assistance for those in need. The focus here is on food security, humanitarian protective measures (especially for women and children), as well as the provision of water and healthcare.

Furthermore, the German Government, in close cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported Burkina Faso between 2020 and 2024 with selected projects in the security sector. A Bundeswehr advisory group was active in Burkina Faso from 2021 to 2024 and provided military equipment aid in the spheres of logistics, sanitation and ordnance clearance.

Cultural relations focus on promoting the German language. There is considerable interest in learning German as a foreign language in Burkina Faso. The German language is firmly established in secondary education, with more than 88,600 students being taught by over 920 German teachers. Three grammar schools in Burkina Faso are part of the Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH) initiative. Promotion of the German language is complemented by the language courses organised by the deutsch-burkinische Kulturverein (German-Burkina Faso cultural association) and, since 2022, also by the Goethe-Institut in Ouagadougou, which has existed since September 2008 – initially as a liaison office of the Goethe-Institut in Abidjan. As the only German cultural institute in the Sahel, it plays a key role in cultural relations.

In the scientific sphere, the German Government – with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research – is making an important contribution towards basic research on the impact of the climate crisis on the Sahel region, which is being carried out by the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL).