Burkina Faso Announces Thwarted Coup Attempt, Accuses Former Leader
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — The government of Burkina Faso announced Tuesday that it had foiled a coup attempt against the current transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, alleging the plot was orchestrated by his ousted predecessor.
In a televised address on state broadcaster RTB, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana stated that security forces had dismantled a plan involving targeted assassinations of high-ranking military and civilian officials. The minister claimed the alleged scheme aimed first to assassinate President Traoré.
Minister Sana directly accused former transitional president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba of being the mastermind. “He was responsible for planning, financing, and recruiting participants for this attempt to plunge Burkina Faso into chaos,” Sana told RTB. The minister sought to reassure the public, stating, “The situation is under control, and investigations are continuing to uncover all the perpetrators and their accomplices.”
The allegation highlights the persistent instability and internal power struggles within Burkina Faso’s military leadership. Captain Traoré seized power in a coup in September 2022, overthrowing Damiba, who had himself ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore just eight months earlier in January 2022.
Since taking power, Traoré has vowed to confront a devastating jihadist insurgency that has plagued the country for years. However, his junta has faced criticism over its handling of the security crisis and increasing restrictions on civil liberties.
No immediate comment was available from Damiba or his representatives regarding the serious accusations. The announcement underscores the fragile political and security climate in the West African nation, which has experienced two coups in 2022 amid widespread unrest.
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