OUAGADOUGOU — In the heart of West Africa, a storm brews beneath the dusty red skies of Burkina Faso. Since his dramatic rise to power in September 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré has survived more than just the political turbulence that typically follows a coup — he has faced repeated assassination attempts, each cloaked in mystery and silence, each a fresh reminder of the invisible war raging within the corridors of the Burkinabé state.
At just 34 years old, Traoré became the world’s youngest head of state when he ousted Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, promising to restore security and sovereignty in a country buckling under the weight of jihadist violence. But his reign has been anything but serene. According to multiple sources close to the transitional government and regional security officials, there have been at least three credible assassination attempts against the young leader since late 2022 — none officially acknowledged, but widely whispered about in diplomatic circles and among Burkinabé citizens.
The details are murky, hidden beneath layers of official secrecy and deliberate misinformation. In one instance reported by intelligence operatives speaking anonymously, a faction within the army allegedly plotted to remove Traoré during a high-level military meeting in late 2023. Security was abruptly tightened around the capital. Official statements referred to it only as “a routine precaution in response to credible threats.” Behind the scenes, however, trust within the military ranks had begun to fray. Sources say several high-ranking officers had grown disillusioned by Traoré’s uncompromising leadership style and his perceived marginalization of old power networks loyal to his predecessor.
In another chilling episode earlier this year, unconfirmed reports suggest that an explosive device was discovered near a convoy route the president was scheduled to take. While authorities dismissed the incident as “an abandoned device with no confirmed link to any specific threat,” insiders insist it was part of a broader scheme involving rogue elements potentially backed by foreign interests.
Most recently, on April 5, 2025, reports emerged of yet another assassination attempt against President Traoré. According to Globe Eye News, the president reportedly survived the attempt, marking the 18th such incident during his tenure. Details surrounding this latest attempt remain scarce, with official channels maintaining silence on the matter.
Read Also: The Hamas Movement : A Comprehensive Overview of Ideology, Conflict, and Governance
If the accounts are accurate, Traoré appears to be navigating not just a battle against militants, but a treacherous political minefield laid by both internal and external actors. Analysts point to a volatile mix of geopolitical pressures, domestic unrest, and ideological rivalries that have made him a lightning rod for conspiracy and rebellion.
Since taking office, Traoré has moved to redefine Burkina Faso’s alliances, notably pivoting away from France and fostering closer ties with Russia. This strategic realignment has stirred deep unease in Western diplomatic circles, especially given Traoré’s praise of anti-imperialist rhetoric and his refusal to play by the traditional rules of post-colonial Francophone leadership. In Ouagadougou, graffiti now reads “La patrie ou la mort” — the homeland or death — a slogan revived from Thomas Sankara’s revolutionary era, and one that Traoré’s supporters have adopted as both a warning and a vow.
These shifts have angered some within Burkina Faso’s elite, particularly those with entrenched financial and military connections to France. According to a West African intelligence source, some of the suspected assassination plots may have involved “mercenary facilitators” from neighboring countries, exploiting Burkina Faso’s porous borders and fragile intelligence network. “It’s not just internal factions,” the source warned. “Captain Traoré has made powerful enemies abroad.”
Despite the danger, Traoré has shown little sign of retreating. In public appearances, he remains defiant, often donning military fatigues and speaking to crowds about the need for a new Burkinabé revolution. His supporters see him as a modern-day Sankara — principled, fearless, and willing to die for his people. His critics accuse him of authoritarianism and reckless populism.
Whether hero or autocrat, Traoré’s presence on Burkina Faso’s political stage is anything but passive. Each week brings new rumors — of purges within the military, of sudden disappearances, of loyalty tests for cabinet members. It is a presidency defined by paranoia, both earned and imagined, where trust is fleeting and betrayal always feels imminent.
No official investigation into the assassination attempts has been made public. When asked, government spokespeople dodge the question or respond with vague references to “ongoing security concerns.” Independent media in Burkina Faso, already under pressure, tread cautiously around the topic.
Still, the fear persists. A journalist in Ouagadougou, speaking anonymously, said, “There’s an understanding that someone — or some people — want him dead. But no one knows who, or when they might try again.”
As the security situation in the Sahel continues to unravel and Burkina Faso remains locked in battle with jihadist groups, Traoré’s fate seems tightly intertwined with the future of the nation itself. For now, he survives — narrowly, and perhaps only temporarily — shielded by loyalists and an uneasy alliance of necessity. But for how long?
In a country where revolution is remembered not as metaphor but as bloodshed, the line between leader and martyr can be terrifyingly thin.
Read Also: What Would Be the Possible Shape and Outcome of World War 3?
