In a tense televised address late Monday night, Burkina Faso’s military government revealed it had crushed an alleged plot to overthrow the country’s leadership, pinning the blame on a network of serving and retired soldiers said to be in league with terrorist groups and exiled officers across the border in Ivory Coast.
Security Minister Mahamadou Sana laid out the chilling details: the conspirators were reportedly preparing to storm the presidential palace on April 16 in a direct attack aimed at toppling junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré. According to Sana, the ultimate goal was to throw the nation into disarray and install a puppet regime answerable to external interests.
“This was not just a mutiny,” Sana warned. “It was a deliberate plan to fracture our state from within—recruiting from our own ranks, spreading propaganda through religious and traditional figures, and feeding intelligence to terrorist actors.”
Also, read: New Pope Leo XIV Has Black Creole Roots — But His Brother Says the Family Doesn’t Identify as Black
While he didn’t name the international organization allegedly backing the attempt, Sana was clear about where the government believes the plot’s leadership is hiding: in neighboring Ivory Coast. Two former military officers—now in exile—are suspected of orchestrating the operation. The Ivorian government has yet to publicly respond to the accusations.
The revelation comes days after several military personnel, including two officers, were detained by state security forces. Anonymous sources within the security apparatus told AFP that the arrests were directly linked to the foiled plot.
Captain Traoré, who seized power in 2022 promising to restore stability amid rising insurgent violence, has survived multiple alleged plots since taking office. This latest incident further underscores the fragile balance of power in Burkina Faso, where political unrest, military dissatisfaction, and extremist violence have created a volatile mix.
For many citizens, the news has stirred anxiety, especially as the government continues to promise a return to civilian rule—an increasingly complicated promise to keep in a country where power has so often changed hands through force.
Still, the junta remains defiant. “Our institutions remain intact. The enemies of the state will not succeed,” Sana declared.
As investigations continue, all eyes are now on the regional implications of the accusation against Ivory Coast—and whether diplomatic tensions will rise in the wake of this alleged cross-border conspiracy.
