The military junta in Burkina Faso has announced that it had successfully thwarted what they describe as a coup attempt. The junta did not provide specific details regarding the incident.
In a statement, they stated that “a verified coup attempt was prevented on September 26, 2023, thanks to Burkina Faso’s intelligence and security services. Currently, several officers and individuals believed to be involved in this destabilization attempt have been apprehended, while others are actively being pursued.”
The junta further asserted that the alleged perpetrators had sinister intentions of attacking the nation’s republican institutions and plunging the country into chaos.
It’s important to note that Captain Ibrahim Traore, the leader of the junta, seized power on September 30, 2022, marking Burkina Faso’s second coup in eight months. Both coups were driven, in part, by discontent with the government’s inability to counter a persistent jihadist insurgency that spilled over from neighbouring Mali in 2015.
Following rumours of a coup on social media, thousands of people took to the streets of the capital city, Ouagadougou, late on Tuesday, responding to a call from Traore’s supporters to “defend” him.
The military government has expressed its commitment to shedding light on the plot and has expressed regret that officers, sworn to protect their homeland, were involved in an endeavour that aimed to obstruct the Burkinabe people’s pursuit of sovereignty and freedom from terrorist threats.
Earlier this month, the country’s military prosecutor disclosed the arrest and charging of three soldiers who were accused of plotting against the ruling junta. These individuals were allegedly scouting locations used by key junta figures, including Traore, with the goal of destabilizing the transitional government.
Burkina Faso has been grappling with a persistent jihadist insurgency, resulting in over 17,000 casualties among civilians and troops, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). Additionally, more than two million people have been displaced, making it one of Africa’s most severe internal displacement crises.
The country has experienced political instability with coups in January and August 2022, toppling elected leaders and leading to interim military rule. Despite government claims of territorial gains, jihadist attacks persist.
