Burkina Faso says it foiled ‘assassination plot’ against Traoré

Burkina Faso says it thwarted a plot to kill Ibrahim Traoré, the country’s military leader.

Mahamadou Sana, security minister, said the alleged assassination plot was scheduled for the night of January 3 and involved civil, military, and foreign actors.

“Our intelligence services intercepted this operation in the final hours. They had planned to assassinate the head of state and then strike other key institutions, including civilian personalities,” Sana said in a late night broadcast on Tuesday

According to the security minister, the attackers considered two elimination options — a direct attack or installing explosives at Traoré’s home.

Other leading civil and military authorities were said to also be on the list of targets.

Sana added that the conspirators also planned to destroy a drone base, prior to a possible ground military intervention.

The minister accused Paul-Henri Damiba as the main instigator of the operation. He said Damiba was allegedly responsible for developing the plan, mobilising funding, and recruiting accomplices.

Damiba was Burkina Faso’s military president in 2022 for a short while before Traoré ousted him in a coup.

Sana pointed to neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire as the financiers of the alleged plot.

According to the minister, 70 million FCFA was earmarked to finance the operation.

Neither Damiba nor Côte d’Ivoire have reacted to the allegations.

Sana said culprits, including Madi Sakandé, a businessman, who admitted to having been in contact with Damiba, have been arrested.

The minister said investigations are ongoing to identify all members of the assassination plot network.