On September 30, 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traore led a military coup in Burkina Faso after leading a military revolt overthrowing the government of Paul-Henry Sandago Damiba, who had also come to power through a military takeover. He was quickly sworn in as a transitional president and head of state of Burkina Faso and chief of defence forces of the armed forces, thus becoming the youngest head of state in the world.
Captain Ibrahim Traore took over leadership when attacks by the militant Islamists many of them linked to the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda had rapidly increased in the Country, these militants had sized territory in many rural areas and had attempted to take over some towns, at the time, the Government was in control of only 60 percentage of the country.
The militants were able to capture these areas because, at that time, there was a lack of strong democratic institutions in the Country, at that time leadership was under lt, Col Paul Damiba, when revolutionary Captain Traore captured power he successfully led a force that he has restored peace in many areas recently under insurgencies.
Shortly after staging a coup against Damiba’s administration in September 2022, Traore acknowledged that his age – 34 – would be a subject of discussion among those questioning his presidential credentials.
The international shine on him appeared to have faded until July 2023, when he accompanied 16 other African heads of state to Saint Petersburg in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, who had organised the Russia-Africa Summit. He is unique and exceptionally different from other African leaders.
As his fellow presidents were dressed in their characteristic custom-tailored, expensive suits. the towering Traore, who is slightly above six feet in height, showed up in military combat clothing, complete with a red beret and tactical gloves.
While walking past the security officers who were saluting the arriving heads of state at the summit’s venue, Expo Forum, Traore was one of the few, if not the only visiting president, who saluted back, showcasing his respect for men in uniform.
The saluting and the picture with President Putin were the only ones that pulled out attention, but his speech during the Russia-Africa Summit held between July 27 and 28, earned him plaudits and impressed many pan-Africanists both in Africa and those in the diaspora.
“The problem is seeing African heads of state, who bring nothing to people who are struggling, singing the same song as the imperialists who call us ‘militia’. As a result, they end up referring to us as people who do not respect human rights,” Traore said.
“We, African heads of state, must stop acting like marionettes who dance each time the imperialists pull on our strings.”
His remarks were likened to those made in the early 1980s by the revered Thomas Sankara, who, just like Traore, ascended to Burkina Faso’s presidency through a coup.
The new Thomas Sankara
On social media, Traore is drawn much attention with many people referring to him as the new Thomas Sankara
On October 4, 1984, Sankara, in an equally major international platform – the United Nations General Assembly – said: “Our economic ambition is to use the strength of the people of Burkina Faso to provide, for all, two meals a day and drinking water.”
The Pan-African revolutionary would go ahead to win the hearts of many citizens of Burkina Faso by introducing measures to address foreign debt and extreme hunger that had caused excessive suffering.
Kamukama Rukundo Clinton is a Ugandan pan-Africanist, author, and columnist for 1cananews who can be contacted via +256704393540 or rukundopeter33@gmail.com
