US Edition‘The Cult of Saint Traoré’: How a Russia-Backed Junta Leader Became an Icon
- In June 2025, Burkina Faso and Russia signed a nuclear cooperation agreement during SPIEF 2025, marking a shift in West African strategic alliances.
- This deal stems from Burkina Faso's pivot from Western institutions after military coups and regional instability, amid challenges like jihadist violence and low electrification rates.
- The agreement includes infrastructure development, isotope production, and training led by Russia's Rosatom, while Burkina Faso expands Russian partnerships and awards a mining license to Russia's Nordgold.
- President Ibrahim Traoré, Africa’s youngest head of state, champions economic independence and pan-African solidarity, declaring his commitment to persist until his people achieve true liberation, despite facing criticism from Western officials.
- This alignment suggests Burkina Faso seeks sovereignty from Western influence but faces ongoing security challenges, international scrutiny, and concerns over authoritarian governance and regional stability.
46 Articles
46 Articles
Burkina Faso: 'elections not a priority compared to security', says military leader
Almost a year after seizing power in a coup, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who had promised a return to presidential elections by July 2024, in Burkina Faso, announced planned changes to the constitution to make it representative of the masses, declaring Friday, on state TV, that elections are not a prior
Disinformation is widespread in the Sahel region plagued by terrorism, with the Burkinian leader of the military government acting as Pan-African president who is also fighting against Ukraine.
From Beyoncé to R. Kelly, AI music videos praise Burkina Faso's junta leader Ibrahim Traoré
Since the beginning of May, a surge of music videos singing the praises of Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso's military leader, voiced by top English-speaking singers. These are deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence, featuring stars like Beyonce, Justin Bieber, R. Kelly, Rihanna -- and experts say it could be a "coordinated campaign." The France 24 Observers did a deep dive into when and why this wave of English pro-Traoré content began appe…
Burkina Faso’s government of change confronts imperialism
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, 34 years old, became the provisional head of Burkina Faso’s government after a military coup in September 2022. The state he now leads is seeking to finish off the remnants of French colonial power, build economic independence, develop infrastructure, satisfy some of the population’s basic needs, and ward off U.S. intervention. The lesson to be taken from happenings there is that in the Global South, national independence…
Can military ruler Traoré be the leader Burkinabè hope for? – The Mail & Guardian
In September 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in Burkina Faso through a military coup, becoming the world’s youngest head of state. Many Africans see him as a break from elected leaders who have long misused democratic institutions for personal gain. He cut salary hikes, nationalised two gold mines, and limited gold exports to Europe, moves hailed as defiance of neo-colonialism. The strong support for Traoré across Africa is understand…
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