Thousands rally in support of Burkina Faso’s military leader
In the biggest show of solidarity with the military regime since its power grab in 2022, demonstrators from across Burkina Faso protested after rumors of an American coup made headlines, reports AP on May 1st.
Early this April, the head of the U.S. military in Africa, Michael Langley, accused the transitional Burkinabé president, Ibrahim Traoré, of exploiting the country’s gold reserve to benefit the junta. Then, on April 22nd, the West African government announced it had foiled a coup to overthrow Traoré, alleging that the conspirators were based in neighboring Ivory Coast.
This drew hordes of protestors to the capital, Ouagadougou, at the Place de la Revolution. Protestors chanted “Long Live Captain Traoré!” with some holding banners showing a photo of Gen. Langley with the word “slave” written across in red.
Ocibi Johann, a musician who came to the protest said Langley’s posturing reflected typical American neo-imperialist efforts: “Because Colin Powell lied, Iraq was destroyed. Barack Obama lied, and Gaddafi was killed. But this time, their lies won’t affect us.” He added that the country would not stand for “predation and economic slavery.”
The US maintained military bases in Burkina Faso’s neighbor Niger as part of their anti-terrorism efforts in the region until 2024. They were forced out after Niger ended the military agreement due to anti-western sentiments.
Following military coups in all three Sahel countries in recent years, long-standing ties with the West have been severed in favor of an alliance with Russia for military support. Earlier in 2024, all three pulled out of ECOWAS, favoring their own “Alliance of Sahel States.”
While Traoré’s junta has struggled to end Burkina Faso’s security challenges –jihadist insurgencies spreading across the region– many people see him as a symbol of resistance to Western hegemony. One protester from Liberia said he came all the way to the protest because Traoré “represents hope for Africa, hope for Black people, hope for all freedom fighters around the globe.”
Still, human rights groups have pointed out widespread human rights abuses under the current regime during counterinsurgency operations, a problem worsened by Traoré’s system of de facto censorship and suppression.
AP, Maghrebi
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