The government of Burkina Faso has announced that a plot to kill military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore has been thwarted.
The orchestration had been hatched by Lt Col Paul Henri Damiba, the military officer Traore ousted back in September 2022, said the security minister in a late-night broadcast.
“Our intelligence services intercepted this operation in the final hours. They had planned to assassinate the head of state and then strike other key institutions, including civilian personalities,” said Mahamadou Sana, further alleging that the plot had been funded from neighboring Ivory Coast.
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Neither Colonel Damiba nor the Ivory Coast has left a statement on the matter.
Since he seized power, Captain Ibrahim Traore has faced a minimum of two coup attempts and is currently battling growing jihadist violence that has forced millions from their homes.
Although these hurdles have come to his doorstep, the 37-year-old military leader maintains strong popular support and has gained a following across the continent for his pan-Africanist vision and criticism of Western influence.
Authorities uncovered a leaked video showing the plotters discussing their plans, says the security minister.
In the video, they allegedly discussed how they planned to assassinate the president – either at close range or by planting explosives at his residence – just after 23:00 local time on Saturday, 3 January.
They intended to target other senior military and civilian figures.
Sana claimed that Damiba had mobilized both soldiers and civilian supporters, secured foreign funding – most significantly 70m CFA francs ($125,000; £92,000) delivered from the Ivory Coast – and planned to knock out the country’s drone-launch base before foreign forces could intervene, per the BBC.
“We are carrying out ongoing investigations and have made several arrests. These individuals will be brought to justice soon,” said the minister on national television.
Sana also insisted that the situation was being handled by the government and urged citizens “not to be misled, out of naivety, into dangerous schemes”.
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For now, it remains unclear how many people have been arrested.
