Burkina Faso’s military government has announced that it has thwarted an alleged plot to assassinate the country’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, accusing his predecessor, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba, of masterminding the plan.
In a late-night national broadcast, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said intelligence services uncovered the operation in its final stages, claiming the plot involved plans to kill the head of state and subsequently attack key institutions and prominent civilian figures.
“Our intelligence services intercepted this operation in the final hours. They had planned to assassinate the head of state and then strike other key institutions, including civilian personalities,” Sana said, alleging that the scheme was financed from neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire.
There was no immediate reaction from either Damiba, who was ousted by Traoré in September 2022, or the Ivorian authorities.
According to the security minister, investigators obtained a leaked video allegedly showing the plotters discussing how to carry out the assassination. He said they planned to either shoot Traoré at close range or plant explosives at his residence shortly after 11:00pm local time on Saturday, January 3. Further attacks on senior military officers and civilian leaders were also allegedly planned.
Sana claimed that Damiba mobilised both military personnel and civilian supporters, secured foreign funding — including 70 million CFA francs (about $125,000) allegedly delivered from Côte d’Ivoire — and intended to disable Burkina Faso’s drone-launch base to prevent foreign intervention
“We are carrying out ongoing investigations and have made several arrests. These individuals will be brought to justice soon,” the minister said, adding that the situation was under control. He urged citizens not to be drawn into what he described as “dangerous schemes.”
Authorities did not disclose how many people had been arrested in connection with the alleged plot.
Captain Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup, has since faced at least two reported coup attempts while contending with escalating jihadist violence that has displaced millions across the country. Despite these security challenges and accusations of authoritarian rule, the 37-year-old leader retains significant domestic support and has attracted admiration beyond Burkina Faso for his pan-Africanist stance and criticism of Western influence in Africa.
Critics, however, accuse Traoré’s government of suppressing dissent through arbitrary arrests of military officers and restrictions on media freedom. The junta has also repeatedly blamed foreign interference — particularly from Côte d’Ivoire — for internal instability, a claim that has previously heightened diplomatic tensions.
Damiba, who led Burkina Faso from January to September 2022 after overthrowing an elected government, fled into exile in neighbouring Togo following his removal. In a social media message at the time, he said he wished his successor success, a stance that contrasts sharply with the latest allegations against him.
The latest development underscores ongoing internal power struggles in Burkina Faso, raising concerns about further instability and heightened regional tensions in West Africa
