One week after an attempted coup in Burkina Faso, tensions remain high in the capital Ouagadougou, particularly within the armed forces, amid growing political instability. According to reports from Radio France Internationale (RFI) and local media, a key meeting of military officers scheduled for April 22 at army headquarters was abruptly postponed and later cancelled after officers failed to attend, signaling widespread distrust within military ranks. Meanwhile, hundreds of civilians and army personnel were seen flocking to the Mogho Naaba palace, a symbol of traditional authority, seeking clarity over the fate of missing persons and signaling unrest among both civilians and security forces.
On April 24, President Captain Ibrahim Traoré convened a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace under tight security, with sniffer dogs patrolling the premises and helicopters hovering overhead. Military camps across the capital, particularly General Baba Sy camp, were heavily guarded with armored vehicles stationed at entrances.
The crisis follows the government’s announcement on April 22 that it had foiled a “major plot” aimed at overthrowing Captain Traoré. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana revealed that intelligence units had intercepted communications linking senior military officers with terrorist leaders. He named Captain René David Ouédraogo as a key figure in the coup attempt; Ouédraogo is currently at large. The alleged plan involved storming the presidential palace on April 16, 2025, to create “total chaos” and place Burkina Faso under international control, Sana stated. The plot reportedly involved active-duty soldiers, former military personnel, and terrorist collaborators.
In response to the coup threat and growing external criticism, Traoré’s government has called for massive pro-regime demonstrations on April 30, with protesters urged to denounce alleged “Western interference”. This follows accusations from U.S. General Michael Langley that Burkina Faso’s junta has diverted gold revenues to fund its security forces independently of Western oversight.
Burkina Faso, along with neighboring Mali and Niger, continues to face a worsening jihadist insurgency despite pivoting away from Western allies toward Russian security support, including the deployment of Wagner-linked mercenaries. The three nations have formally established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to bolster regional defense cooperation. However, analysts warn that violence against civilians has surged since the juntas seized power, with record numbers of casualties reported across the Sahel, deepening an already dire humanitarian and security crisis.
