Burkina Faso junta claims to foil coup attempt amid rising tensions

|Published 11:50 AM ET, Tuesday April 22, 2025|

​On April 21, 2025, Burkina Faso’s military junta announced that it had thwarted a significant coup attempt aimed at destabilizing the country. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana detailed that intelligence services uncovered a plot orchestrated by individuals operating from Ivory Coast. The plan allegedly involved recruiting Burkinabé soldiers to assault the presidential palace on April 16, intending to “sow total chaos.”

“The brains outside the country are all located in Ivory Coast,” he added, naming in particular two former army officers believed to be behind the plot.

He said “sensitive information was passed on to “terrorists” to increase attacks on the military and civilians and “incite a revolt against the authorities”.

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This incident marks the third reported coup attempt since Captain Ibrahim Traoré assumed power in September 2022, following the ousting of Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. Previous attempts occurred in September 2023 and January 2024, both of which were also foiled by the junta.

The junta’s tenure has been challenged by escalating jihadist violence, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of over two million people. Critics argue that the repeated coup allegations may serve to divert attention from the government’s struggles in addressing the security crisis.

Burkina Faso’s political instability reflects a broader trend in West Africa, where military coups have disrupted democratic governance in several countries, including Mali, Guinea, and Niger. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the need for a return to constitutional order and effective strategies to combat extremism in the region.

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