In Burkina Faso, three soldiers have been arrested and charged with a conspiracy against the ruling junta, according to a statement from the country’s military prosecutor.
The prosecutor revealed that last month, investigators received information about “soldiers and former soldiers with ties to intelligence” who were surveilling the residences and other locations frequented by key figures in the junta, including Captain Ibrahim Traore, a prominent figure.
Their alleged goal was to “destabilize the transition,” referring to the interim military rule preceding the promised elections. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the three individuals, who have been ordered to be held in detention by an examining magistrate. They face a range of charges, including involvement in a “military conspiracy, violation of military orders, plotting against state security, criminal association, and endangerment,” as stated by military prosecutor Major Alphonse Zorma.
The three individuals involved in this incident have been identified as Warrant Officer Windinmalegde Kabore, Sergeant Brice Ismael Ramde, and former corporal Sami Dah, who had previously been convicted in a plot against the state in 2015. Zorma noted that they “unequivocally admitted to the facts.”
Burkina Faso, a country in the Sahel region, has faced persistent instability since gaining independence from France in 1960. Last year, it experienced two coups driven by discontent within the military, largely fueled by the ongoing jihadist insurgency.
Captain Ibrahim Traore took power on September 30, 2022, becoming one of the world’s youngest leaders outside of royalty at just 34 years old. His rise to power followed the ousting of Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had removed Burkina’s elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, a little over eight months prior.
Following Traore’s assumption of power, military prosecutors in December reported an attempt to “destabilize state institutions,” allegedly involving civilians and a lieutenant-colonel named Emmanuel Zoungrana.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the conflict in Burkina Faso has resulted in the loss of over 16,000 lives, including civilians, troops, and police, since jihadists from neighboring Mali initiated their campaign in 2015.
This conflict has also forced more than two million people to flee their homes, creating one of Africa’s most severe internal displacement crises. Traore has pledged to restore democracy and has scheduled presidential elections for July 2024.
