Burkina Faso Thwarts Major Coup Plot – Blame Exiled Officers in Ivory Coast

By: Manoah kikekon 

Burkina Faso’s military government has foiled a major coup attempt targeting junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the BBC reported Tuesday.  

Ibrahim Traore

In a televised address, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana revealed that active and retired soldiers, allegedly collaborating with terrorist groups, had plotted to storm the presidential palace. The attack was reportedly scheduled for last week.  

Sana claimed the conspirators aimed to plunge the nation into chaos and install a regime controlled by an international organization. He accused them of manipulating religious and traditional leaders to turn military personnel against the government.  

“The plotters planned a direct assault on the presidency by April 16. They recruited soldiers and leaked strategic intel to terrorists to fuel unrest and rebellion,” Sana stated.  

The minister further alleged that the masterminds were operating from Ivory Coast, naming two exiled ex-army officers. So far, Ivorian authorities have remained silent on the accusations.  

Security sources told AFP that several military personnel, including two officers, were arrested last week over suspicions of plotting to destabilize Traoré’s regime.  

This isn’t the first coup attempt under Traoré, who rose to power in 2022 amid public anger over jihadist violence. Nearly 40% of Burkina Faso remains outside state control due to insurgent attacks.  

Despite shifting alliances from France to Russia for stronger security ties, jihadist strikes persist. Recently, Burkina Faso joined Mali and Niger in exiting ECOWAS, forming a new military-led alliance to combat shared threats.