NAIROBI, Kenya – Burkina Faso’s military government says it has derailed a sophisticated coup attempt allegedly engineered from neighboring Ivory Coast, in what authorities are calling a bid to “sow total chaos” and overthrow Capt. Ibrahim Traoré.
The plot, revealed late Monday by Security Minister Mahamadou Sana during a national address, involved a network of current and former soldiers allegedly colluding with terrorist groups.
Their goal? A dramatic assault on the presidential palace on April 16, 2025, intended to destabilize the regime and place the country under international supervision.
“The manoeuvre was to culminate… in an assault on the presidency by a group of soldiers recruited by the nation’s enemies,” Sana explained, claiming the architects of the plan were based abroad.
While full details emerged only this week, the attempted coup reportedly unfolded last week.
Sana pointed fingers at two exiled former military officers based in Ivory Coast, a country the junta has frequently accused of harboring anti-regime elements.
According to the minister, the conspirators passed sensitive military information to armed groups in an effort to trigger unrest and incite military dissent within Burkina Faso’s ranks.
The accusations mark yet another flare-up in the already tense relationship between Ouagadougou and Ivory Coast.
Ivorian officials have yet to respond to the claims, but this latest incident feeds into a recurring pattern of mistrust and blame between the two West African neighbors.
Burkina Faso remains one of the Sahel region’s most unstable nations, with roughly 40pc of its territory believed to be under the control of Islamist insurgents.
Capt. Traoré, who came to power in a 2022 military coup, promised a new chapter in national security. Yet despite pivoting away from France and forging new ties with Russia, the on-ground situation remains dire, marred by frequent attacks on both civilians and soldiers.
This attempted coup isn’t the first. In November 2024, the junta claimed to have thwarted another effort to destabilize the state.
With rising insecurity and internal dissent, analysts say the government faces a delicate balancing act: battling insurgents while holding together a fractured military.
Traditional Leaders Pulled into the Mix
One particularly bold tactic allegedly employed by the plotters: using religious and traditional leaders to persuade army officers to join the coup.
It’s a move that signals both the reach of the conspiracy and the growing desperation of anti-junta forces.
Last week, several military personnel—including two officers—were arrested over connections to the plot. According to Sana, these individuals worked directly with terrorist cells, feeding them intelligence in a bid to intensify attacks and turn public sentiment against the government.
Burkina Faso’s revelation adds another layer of volatility to a region already strained by coups, insurgencies, and shifting alliances.
As the junta tightens its grip while facing threats from within and beyond its borders, the country’s future hangs in a fragile balance.
Whether this latest plot was as expansive as claimed or a preemptive narrative by a paranoid regime, one thing is clear: West Africa’s political chessboard is far from settled.
