Burkina Faso Thwarts Coup Attempt Against Junta Leader, Accuses Soldiers of Collusion with Terrorist Groups
The military government of Burkina Faso has confirmed the foiling of what it called a “major coup plot” aimed at overthrowing junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Authorities say the foiled attempt involved a dangerous alliance between active and retired military officers and terrorist groups, with the goal of plunging the country into chaos.
In a televised address on Monday, Burkina Faso’s Security Minister Mahamadou Sana revealed that the alleged coup plotters had marked April 16 as the day they would storm the presidential palace in a direct assault on the country’s leadership.
“The plotters had set their sights on 16 April for a direct assault on the presidency. They had been recruiting soldiers and passing strategic information to terrorist elements to fuel unrest and incite rebellion,” Sana disclosed.
According to the minister, the conspirators’ ultimate aim was not just to seize power, but to “destabilise the country and install a regime controlled by an international organisation.”
In a startling twist, Sana also accused the group of using religious and traditional leaders to manipulate military officers and sway support for the coup. “The conspirators also tried to manipulate military officers using religious and traditional leaders to rally support for the coup,” he added.
Authorities claim the coup masterminds were operating from neighboring Ivory Coast, and two former army officers have been named as key figures behind the operation. Ivorian officials have yet to respond to these serious accusations.
The revelation comes days after the arrest of several military personnel, including two officers, believed to be involved in the plan to unseat Traoré. Security sources told AFP that the arrests were part of a broader investigation into ongoing attempts to disrupt the regime.
This is not the first such attempt since Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power in a 2022 coup, which he justified as a necessary step amid growing public frustration over unrelenting jihadist violence.
While Traoré’s government has pivoted away from France and sought closer ties with Russia in hopes of bolstering its fight against extremist groups, insurgent attacks remain a grim and persistent threat, claiming lives regularly across the country.
Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, recently withdrew from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and established a new alliance of military-led governments. The three nations cited shared security challenges and a common ideological direction as reasons for the regional realignment.
