Burkina Faso’s military government says it has foiled an assassination plot against the country’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The security minister, Mahamadou Sana, said intelligence services intercepted the plan shortly before it was due to be carried out on the night of January 3.
In a late-night broadcast on Tuesday, Mr Sana said the alleged plot involved civilian, military and foreign actors, who planned to kill Captain Traoré and then target key state institutions and prominent civilian figures. He said the attackers considered either a direct assault or planting explosives at the leader’s residence.
The security minister said the conspirators also planned to destroy a drone base ahead of a possible ground military intervention. He accused Paul-Henri Damiba, Burkina Faso’s former military president who was ousted by Captain Traoré in 2022, of being the main instigator of the plot.
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Mr Sana further alleged that neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire financed the operation, with about 70 million CFA francs earmarked for it. Several suspects, including a businessman identified as Madi Sakandé, have been arrested, while investigations continue. Neither Mr Damiba nor the Ivorian authorities have responded to the accusations.
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