Burkina Faso’s security forces have successfully disrupted a sophisticated assassination attempt targeting the nation’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, according to an official government announcement. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana revealed in a late-night national broadcast that the elaborate scheme was orchestrated by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba, the military officer whom Captain Traoré had previously ousted from power in September 2022.
The minister detailed that intelligence operatives intercepted the operation during its final planning stages, preventing what would have been a coordinated attack on the nation’s leadership. “Our intelligence services intercepted this operation in the final hours,” Sana stated. “They had planned to assassinate the head of state and then strike other key institutions, including civilian personalities.”
Authorities allege the plotters intended to execute Captain Traoré either through close-range assassination or by detonating explosives at his residence around 23:00 local time on January 3rd. Following the planned assassination, the conspirators allegedly intended to target additional senior military and civilian figures in a broader destabilization campaign.
Minister Sana further asserted that the plot received significant foreign funding, particularly highlighting approximately 70 million CFA francs (equivalent to $125,000) allegedly transferred from neighboring Ivory Coast. The minister claimed Damiba had mobilized both military personnel and civilian supporters while planning to neutralize the country’s drone-launch base before foreign forces could potentially intervene.
“We are carrying out ongoing investigations and have made several arrests. These individuals will be brought to justice soon,” Sana announced during his television address, while reassuring citizens that the situation remained under control. He urged the public “not to be misled, out of naivety, into dangerous schemes.”
This incident marks at least the third known coup attempt against Captain Traoré since he seized power. The 37-year-old leader maintains significant popular support despite growing criticism from both local and international observers regarding his government’s authoritarian tendencies, including allegations of suppressing dissent through arbitrary arrests of military officers and media restrictions.
The ongoing internal power struggles occur against the backdrop of escalating jihadist violence that has displaced millions of Burkinabe citizens, further complicating the nation’s security landscape. These developments are likely to exacerbate existing regional tensions in West Africa.
Neither Colonel Damiba nor Ivorian officials have responded to the allegations at this time. This is not the first instance where Burkina Faso’s junta has accused Ivory Coast of interfering in its internal affairs, highlighting the complex geopolitical dynamics within the region.