One week after authorities in Burkina Faso announced they had foiled a coup attempt, the atmosphere in the capital city of Ouagadougou remains charged with uncertainty and fear, particularly within military circles.
According to reports from local media, a high-level meeting planned for April 22 at the country’s general staff headquarters was abruptly canceled after several army officers failed to attend. Originally scheduled to bring together key military figures, the meeting’s cancellation has fueled speculation about internal divisions within the armed forces.
Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported unusual scenes outside the Mogho Naaba Palace, a powerful traditional institution in Burkina Faso. Witnesses noted a large influx of people, including soldiers and families searching for missing civilians. Their presence underscores the deepening anxiety gripping the West African nation following the attempted putsch.
Meanwhile, the country’s presidential palace was placed under heavy security during a cabinet meeting held on April 24. Helicopters hovered overhead, while sniffer dogs patrolled the premises in a visible display of heightened alertness. Security was similarly tightened at key military sites across Ouagadougou, including the General Baba Sy military camp in the city’s southern districts, where armored vehicles and checkpoints were reported.
In a move aimed at shoring up support for the ruling military government, authorities have called for mass pro-regime demonstrations on April 30. The rallies are intended to show popular backing for Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership and to denounce what officials describe as “Western interference.” This follows pointed accusations made by U.S. General Michael Langley, who alleged that Burkina Faso’s ruling junta had been misappropriating the country’s gold reserves to bolster its own security apparatus.
The government, led by Captain Traoré, has sought to frame the recent instability as part of a broader external plot aimed at destabilizing the country.
“The goal was to sow total chaos and place Burkina Faso under the supervision of an international organization,” Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said during a televised address on state media.
On April 22, the military government revealed it had thwarted what it described as a “major plot” to overthrow Captain Traoré. Officials said they first learned of the conspiracy after intercepting communications between a senior Burkinabé officer and leaders of armed terrorist groups operating in the region.
Sana elaborated that the conspiracy involved both active and former soldiers, alongside jihadist elements. He specifically named Captain René David Ouédraogo as a key figure in the plot. Ouédraogo has since disappeared and is believed to be in hiding.
Authorities disclosed that the plotters had planned to storm the presidential palace on April 16, 2025, seizing power through force and creating an environment of widespread instability that would necessitate international intervention.
Burkina Faso, like its neighbors Mali and Niger, has battled a decade-long insurgency perpetrated by jihadist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. The violence has displaced millions and plunged large swaths of the region into humanitarian crisis.
Since coming to power through a coup themselves, Captain Traoré’s junta has expelled French military forces from Burkina Faso, aligning instead with Russian paramilitary groups for security assistance. This shift mirrors similar moves by Mali and Niger, who together with Burkina Faso recently formed the Alliance of Sahel States — a new security pact aimed at mutual defense against insurgents and external threats.
Despite these new alliances, analysts say the security situation in the Sahel region has worsened significantly under the military-led governments. Data from humanitarian agencies suggest that attacks against civilians have reached record highs, with violence attributed both to jihadist groups and government forces.
Speaking to Le Monde Afrique, political analyst Dr. Amadou Zongo warned that the coup attempt could signal deeper fractures within the Burkinabé military establishment.
“There is an erosion of trust between the ranks. The military is no longer a monolith, and splinter factions could become more pronounced in the months ahead,” Zongo noted.
Further complicating the picture is the tense relationship between the junta and international partners. Relations with Western countries, particularly France and the United States, have sharply deteriorated amid accusations of corruption, human rights abuses, and collaboration with Russian mercenaries.
Traoré’s government has rejected these criticisms, maintaining that Burkina Faso’s sovereignty must be respected and that foreign meddling will not be tolerated.
In the lead-up to the April 30 demonstrations, the government has launched a nationwide campaign calling on citizens to show “patriotic vigilance” and rally behind the leadership against “foreign plots” aimed at recolonizing the nation.
Posters and broadcasts promoting the marches frame the event as a stand against neo-colonialism, with slogans such as “Our Gold, Our Sovereignty” and “No to Foreign Control!” circulating widely across state-run media.
Yet beneath the official calls for unity, tensions remain palpable. Families of those missing after the failed coup attempt continue to demand answers, while rumors swirl of purges within the military and retaliatory actions against suspected dissenters.
Civil society groups have called for calm, urging both the government and the opposition to seek peaceful solutions to the country’s deepening political crisis.
“Burkina Faso needs healing, not more violence,” said Alimata Sawadogo, a spokesperson for the Burkinabé Human Rights Network. “The population is tired of endless coups and insecurity.”
As April 30 approaches, all eyes are on Ouagadougou. Whether Captain Traoré’s government can maintain its grip on power amid growing discontent remains an open question. For now, Burkina Faso remains a nation on edge — caught between a fight for survival and the hope for stability in an increasingly volatile Sahel.
