Burkina Faso’s military government has announced that it has thwarted a “major plot” to overthrow junta leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré, alleging that the conspirators were based in neighboring Ivory Coast. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana revealed that the coup attempt was orchestrated by both current and former soldiers in collaboration with “terrorist leaders,” with plans to attack the presidential palace last week.
Sana stated that the goal of the plot was to “sow total chaos and place the country under the supervision of an international organization,” as he addressed the nation on state television on Monday. This incident marks the latest in a series of claims regarding attempts to unseat the junta leader, who came to power in 2022 amid a surge in militant attacks.
Burkina Faso, like its Sahel neighbors, has been grappling with armed jihadist groups, with an estimated 40% of the country now under their control. Despite Capt Traoré’s military government promising to enhance security and pursuing new partnerships with Russia, the situation remains dire, with frequent insurgent attacks.
In the most recent coup attempt, details of which have just emerged, Sana indicated that the plotters sought to utilize Burkinabe religious and traditional leaders to persuade army officers to support their plan. “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 explained.
He specifically pointed to two former army officers in Ivory Coast as the masterminds behind the plot. Sensitive information was allegedly communicated to “terrorists” to escalate attacks on military and civilian targets and incite a revolt against the authorities.
Last week, several military personnel, including two officers, were arrested for allegedly planning to “destabilize” the government, according to security sources. The Ivorian authorities have not yet responded to the claims regarding the plotters, but Burkina Faso’s junta has frequently accused its southern neighbor of harboring opponents in exile.
This allegation comes months after Ouagadougou claimed to have thwarted another “destabilization” plot against the junta in November. Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger—two other military-led states—has distanced itself from the regional West African bloc, Ecowas, to form a new alliance, severing ties with former colonial power France and instead aligning with Russia.
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