DST News: A plot to assassinate Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has been foiled, authorities in the West African country have announced.

In a late-night broadcast, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said the “complex and well-coordinated” plan was orchestrated by Lt Col Paul Henri Damiba, the former army officer overthrown by Traoré in September 2022. According to Sana, intelligence agencies intercepted the plot at the final stage, preventing an attempt on the head of state and planned attacks on other key institutions and civilian figures. He also alleged that the operation had received funding from neighboring Ivory Coast.

Neither Lt Col Damiba nor the Ivorian authorities have responded to the accusations.

Captain Traoré, who took power in a September 2022 coup, has since survived at least two attempted overthrows while battling escalating jihadist violence that has displaced millions of people. Despite his authoritarian image, the 37-year-old leader continues to enjoy strong domestic support and has gained prominence across Africa for his pan-Africanist stance and outspoken criticism of Western influence.

Source: BBC