Burkina Faso's military junta claims to thwart ‘total chaos’ attempt
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Burkina Faso’s military government says it has foiled a coup plot orchestrated from the Ivory Coast, accusing exiled officers of planning an assault on the presidency.
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A mural: "remain vigilant and mobilized”, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, March 1, 2023 (AP)
The military government of Burkina Faso announced on Monday that it had thwarted what it described as a “major plot in the making” intended to plunge the country into disorder, alleging that the plan originated from neighboring Ivory Coast.
Since the September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso has been under military rule. Traore, who has repeatedly accused the Ivory Coast of sheltering opposition figures, initially vowed to restore order in the country.
"The meticulous work of the intelligence service (has) revealed a major plot being prepared against our country, the ultimate aim of which is to sow total chaos", Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said in a statement read out on national television.
Junta blames Ivory Coast for destabilization efforts
"The manoeuvre was to culminate, according to the terrorist plotters' plan, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in an assault on the presidency of (Burkina) Faso by a group of soldiers recruited by the nation's enemies," he said.
"The brains outside the country are all located in Ivory Coast", he added, naming in particular two former army officers, Major Joanny Compaore and Lieutenant Abdramane Barry.
Security sources told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) that a dozen soldiers, including two officers, were arrested last week over accusations that they were conspiring to destabilize the government, claims echoed by junta supporters.
Burkina Faso has faced ongoing violence since 2015, largely driven by insurgent groups linked to terrorist groups. Traore previously accused the Ivory Coast of acting as a base for efforts to undermine his leadership.
Last September, Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta announced it had thwarted a plot to destabilize the country, allegedly involving foreign support.
Since a 2022 coup, a transitional military government has been in charge, having taken power amid widespread frustration over the previous elected government's failure to contain escalating extremist violence. The country has faced relentless attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, resulting in thousands of deaths, the displacement of over 2 million people, and pushing tens of thousands toward starvation.
Although the junta initially promised elections by July to restore civilian rule, they extended their transitional mandate by another five years just four months prior to September 2024. On national television, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana claimed that “persons residing in Ivory Coast have been involved in subversive activities against our country.”
At the time, Sana claimed an elaborate three-phased plot was devised by some Burkina Faso civilians and servicemen living abroad who paid and trained armed groups to conduct attacks. He said the first phase of their supposed plan was the terrorist attack that killed at least 300 people in central Burkina Faso in August 2024. The second phase, he said, was planned attacks on the presidential palace, a military drone base, and an airport, and the last phase was attacks near the Ivory Coast borders. Sana said the last two phases were prevented.
