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Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the President of Burkina Faso had been a target of several assassination attempts since he got into power and this is because he didn’t climb into office through elections or handshakes....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>
He seized power in September 2022 through a military coup that ousted interim president Paul-Henri Damiba.
But it wasn’t just politics, it was frustration. The country was bleeding under relentless terrorist attacks, and people felt Damiba wasn’t doing enough.
Traoré, just 34 at the time, stepped in with a promise to secure Burkina Faso and return control of its destiny to its people. Many called him a revolutionary. Others called him a risk. But one thing was certain, he wasn’t here to play it safe.
Because he’s doing what the world isn’t used to seeing from a young African leader: thinking for himself.
The assassination threats are real. The pressure is mounting. He’s following in the footsteps of Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso’s former revolutionary leader who was assassinated in 1987 for trying to liberate his people from the same forces Traoré now confronts.
The West says he’s turning to “dangerous alliances.” Some media call him authoritarian. But those who feel the ground shifting know the truth: Traoré is building a new model, and that scares those who profited from the old one. Here are some of the significant things he had done
Cutting ties with France and the west
One of his first bold steps? Turning his back on France. For decades, France maintained a strong military and economic presence in Burkina Faso. Even after colonialism officially ended, its hands remained deep in the country’s affairs, military bases, mining contracts, and “development aid” tied with strings.
Traoré said enough. He ordered French troops out. He suspended military agreements. He stopped relying on Western intelligence. And slowly, the country started charting its own path.
This shift wasn’t just symbolic, it was seismic. Burkina Faso began aligning with Mali and Niger, who were also rejecting French influence. Together, they started to form a regional bloc built on independence and African solidarity, not outside control.
The rejection of foreign loans
Under Traoré, Burkina Faso is also saying no to the kind of foreign aid that comes dressed like a gift but behaves like a leash.
He’s refused IMF-style loans that keep countries stuck in cycles of debt and dependence. He’s not interested in dollars with conditions. For years, leaders accepted these loans to stay afloat, but the cost was always sovereignty. Traoré’s not buying into that model.
His government is pushing for self-reliance, home-grown solutions, and investment that respects national dignity. That kind of thinking threatens the very architecture of international finance—where the Global South borrows and the West profits.
Minerals, power, and the new gatekeeper
Burkina Faso is rich, not in cash, but in what lies beneath the ground. Gold, manganese, copper, phosphate, and rare earth minerals crucial for global tech and energy industries.
For years, multinational companies many from the West extracted these resources while local communities remained impoverished. Under Traoré, those days might be ending.
He’s begun reviewing mining contracts and limiting foreign access to strategic areas. And what’s even more radical? He’s insisting that future deals must prioritize national interest.
This move could rewire global supply chains and it terrifies those who once had free reign. With the West’s access threatened, the calls for “stability” grow louder. And when they say “stability,” what they often mean is “bring back the puppet.”
What to note
Is he perfect? No. He’s young, untested in some areas, and leading in a country with deep, complex wounds. But he’s not afraid. And that, in this world, is dangerous.
Dangerous to old powers. Dangerous to global systems built on African submission. Dangerous to the idea that Africa must always ask for permission. And maybe that’s why someone wants him gone…CONTINUE READING>>
