OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso’s military government announced has said that it successfully thwarted a coup attempt on September 26, 2023, underscoring the nation’s ongoing struggle for stability.
This incident comes nearly a year after Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a coup, marking the country’s second coup in just eight months.
In a statement broadcasted on state television, the military government revealed that Burkina Faso’s intelligence and security services had acted swiftly to prevent the coup attempt. Arrests have already been made, and efforts are underway to apprehend others involved in the destabilization plot.
The statement emphasized that the alleged perpetrators had “sinister intentions” to attack the country’s institutions and plunge it into chaos, threatening the Republic’s stability.
Burkina Faso has been grappling with a persistent jihadist insurgency that originated from neighboring Mali in 2015. Discontent over the government’s inability to quell this insurgency has been a recurring theme in the country’s recent political turmoil.
Late on Tuesday, thousands of Traoré supporters took to the streets in the capital, Ouagadougou, responding to social media rumors of a coup. The military government expressed its commitment to shedding light on the situation, aiming to uncover the truth behind the rumors and demonstrations.
The government also expressed regret that some officers, whose duty is to defend the nation, had become involved in activities that obstruct the Burkinabe people’s pursuit of sovereignty and freedom from terrorist threats.
This recent coup attempt follows the arrest and charging of three soldiers earlier this month for plotting against the ruling junta. Investigators had received information about soldiers and former soldiers involved in intelligence, who were allegedly scouting key figures’ residences within the junta.
Burkina Faso continues to grapple with jihadist attacks, causing significant loss of life and internal displacement. Over 17,000 civilians and troops have lost their lives in these attacks, making it one of the most severe internal displacement crises in Africa.
The nation has experienced political turbulence since a coup in January 2022 that ousted the elected president. Despite government efforts to regain control of certain regions, jihadist attacks persist, challenging Burkina Faso’s path to stability and recovery.
