Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Several thousand people rallied in support of Burkina Faso’s junta Wednesday, days after the military rulers said they had uncovered a “plot” to overthrow the government.
Demonstrators carried giant posters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and Burkinabe and Russian flags in one of the biggest rallies since Traore seized power in a coup in September 2022.
With placards bearing slogans such as: “Down with imperialism and its local lackeys” and “Full support for President Ibrahim Traore and the people of Burkina Faso”, people gathered in a central square in the capital Ouagadougou.
On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a “major plot” planned in neighbouring Ivory Coast. Several top army officials were arrested. Traore has regularly accused Ivory Coast of harbouring his opponents, allegations its neighbour rejects.
The junta has over the past year detained dozens of military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, accusing them of plotting or attempting to destabilise the government.
Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the country’s wider battle against jihadist insurgents.
The junta leader expressed “gratitude” for the rally afterwards.
“Together and in solidarity, we will triumph over imperialism and neo-colonialism for a free, dignified and sovereign Africa,” Traore said in a statement.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo addressed the rally which was also attended by ministers and MPs and called by the National Coordination of the Civilian Vigil (CNAVC), a coalition of pro-junta civil society groups.
“We must stand up more than ever because when the people stand up, the imperialists tremble,” the prime minister told the crowd.
Rallies condemning the “hypocrisy” of former colonial powers also took place in Burkina’s second biggest city Bobo Dioulasso and in Boromo.
– ‘We are a shield’ –
“This mobilisation is proof that the people are committed to their leaders,” Ghislain Some, CNAVC secretary general, said.
“The people are standing up, mobilised and united behind captain Ibrahim Traore. We will never be able to harm our president or destabilise our country. We are a shield,” Some said.
Adama Kima, one of the organisers, said on national television that the rally was also to denounce remarks attributed to US Africa Command chief General Michael Langley accusing Traore of using the country’s gold reserves for personal protection at the expense of the well-being of the people.
Like its neighbours Niger and Mali, where there have also been military takeovers, Burkina Faso under Traore has turned away from former colonial master France and moved closer to Russia.
All three Sahel states have over the past decade been battling violence by jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
The countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) this year, accusing the regional bloc of being subservient to France. They have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), originally set up as a defence pact in 2023 but which now seeks closer integration.
© Agence France-Presse
