Burkina Faso’s government has announced that security agencies have thwarted an alleged plot to assassinate the country’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, disclosed the development during a late night broadcast on Tuesday, stating that the planned operation was uncovered in its final stages by intelligence services.
According to Sana, the plot was scheduled to be carried out on the night of January 3 and allegedly involved a network of civilian, military and foreign actors.
“They intended to assassinate the head of state and subsequently launch coordinated attacks on key institutions, as well as prominent civilian figures,” the minister said.
He explained that investigators uncovered two proposed methods for carrying out the assassination: a direct assault on Traoré or the placement of explosive devices at his official residence.
Sana added that several senior civilian and military officials were also identified as potential targets, while the conspirators allegedly planned to sabotage a drone base ahead of a broader ground operation.
The security minister accused former military leader Paul Henri Damiba of masterminding the plot, alleging that he designed the operation, mobilised financial resources and coordinated the recruitment of collaborators.
Damiba briefly ruled Burkina Faso in 2022 before being overthrown by Traoré in a military takeover.
Sana further alleged that neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire provided financial backing for the operation, claiming that a sum of 70 million CFA francs was earmarked for its execution.
Neither Damiba nor the Ivorian government has publicly reacted to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
The minister confirmed that several suspects have been arrested, including a businessman identified as Madi Sakandé, who reportedly admitted to maintaining contact with Damiba.
He added that investigations are ongoing to uncover the full scope of the alleged network and identify all individuals involved.
