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One week after an attempted coup in Burkina Faso, tensions continue to simmer in the capital, Ouagadougou, especially within the armed forces.
Local media report that a meeting scheduled for April 22 at the army general staff headquarters — expected to gather several senior officers — was first postponed, then canceled altogether after the invitees failed to appear.
According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), large crowds were seen gathering at the Mogho Naaba palace, the seat of traditional authority in the country. Among those flocking to the palace were military personnel and families searching for missing civilians, a further indication of deepening unease.
On April 24, a cabinet meeting convened at the presidential palace under tight security, with sniffer dogs and helicopters deployed around the area. Meanwhile, some military camps in Ouagadougou were placed on high alert, including the General Baba Sy military camp in the southern part of the capital, where military vehicles were stationed at the entrance.
In an apparent show of strength, the government led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré has called for mass demonstrations on April 30 to rally public support and condemn what it describes as “Western interference” — particularly in response to recent accusations by U.S. General Michael Langley that Burkina Faso’s gold reserves are being used to finance the junta’s security forces.
The military government announced on April 22 that it had thwarted a “major plot” aimed at overthrowing Traoré. According to Security Minister Mahamadou Sana, authorities intercepted communications between a senior military officer and terrorist leaders. Sana said that the conspirators included active and former soldiers, as well as militant groups, and named Captain René David Ouédraogo as a key figure involved. Ouédraogo remains at large.
The coup plotters reportedly planned to storm the presidential palace on April 16, 2025, with the goal of “sowing total chaos” and placing the country under international supervision, Sana said.
Burkina Faso, along with its neighbors Mali and Niger, has battled a brutal insurgency for over a decade against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Following recent military coups, all three nations have expelled French forces, increasingly relying instead on Russian mercenaries for support.
In September 2023, the three Sahel nations formed a new security pact — the Alliance of Sahel States — pledging closer military cooperation. Yet analysts warn that the security situation across the Sahel has continued to deteriorate, with a sharp rise in deadly attacks and civilian casualties, both from jihadist fighters and government forces.
The situation in Burkina Faso remains volatile, with both domestic unrest and international scrutiny adding to the growing uncertainty.
