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RARE PHOTOS: Ibrahim traore | Rare Historical Photos

UN to close its human rights office in Burkina Faso following junta's suspension

Junta chief captain Ibrahim Traoré has pursued anti-Western policies since seizing power in a coup in September 2022, while critical voices are met with repression.

Euronews

Burkina Faso junta cuts diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France

Burkina Faso's ruling junta, lead by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, announced late Friday it has cut diplomatic ties with former colonial ruler France, accusing Paris of persistently acting against its interests. France called the decision "hostile and baseless".

Radio France Internationale

It’s no surprise that an AI-faked presidential speech condemning foreign exploitation went viral – the world is suffering from a leadership vacuum

Attributed to the president of Namibia, the speech is still being shared as citizens across Africa and the Caribbean cry out for moral leaders willing to speak uncomfortable truths

The Guardian - UK

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Mali’s military leader is consolidating power. Why this is dangerous

Malian officials announced on 4 May 2026 that junta leader General Assimi Goïta would take on the post of defence minister after the killing of General Sadio Camara a week earlier.

The Conversation

Burkina Faso junta secretly detained journalist and others, advocacy group says

Reporters Without Borders says Burkina Faso's authorities secretly detained and abused a prominent journalist and dozens of others in a makeshift facility

The Independent UK

More than 1,800 killed by army and jihadists in Burkina Faso since 2023, NGO reports

Burkina Faso's army, its civilian auxiliaries and jihadist groups have killed more than 1,800 civilians since 2023 in acts that constitute "war crimes and crimes against humanity", Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Thursday.

Radio France Internationale

People of Burkina Faso should forget about democracy, says military ruler

Ibrahim Traoré, who took power in 2022 coup, tells state broadcaster ‘we must tell the truth, democracy isn’t for us’

The Guardian - UK

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Burkina Faso has dissolved all political parties: why African coup leaders often turn on the people who supported them

The end of January 2026 effectively marked the end of party politics in Burkina Faso. On 29 January, Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s government formally dissolved all political parties, including those that had supported his September 2022 coup.

The Conversation

Burkina Faso moves to reinstate death penalty as junta overhauls penal code

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has taken a step toward reinstating the death penalty, adopting a new penal code that once again allows capital punishment for crimes including treason, terrorism and espionage.

Radio France Internationale

Kidnapped, killed or silenced: Africa's journalists increasingly under threat

Across Africa, journalists are being kidnapped, tortured and killed – often by people whose identities are known but who face no punishment. Reports gathered by RFI and press freedom groups show these incidents spreading from Burkina Faso to Guinea and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where journalists who refuse to…

Radio France Internationale

Prison time, fines and ostracisation: anti-gay law shocks community in African country seen as relatively safe

Jail terms of up to five years for ‘promoting homosexuality’ in Burkina Faso latest in push for ‘family values’ sweeping the continent

The Guardian - UK

Trust in the US is eroding. The question isn’t if the dollar will lose supremacy – it’s when

De-dollarisation is not a threat to global stability. Countries are simply questioning the rules of a game long rigged in Washington’s favour

The Guardian - UK

Fake news claiming Burkina Faso detained French spy spreads virally online

Anti-Western disinformation is rampant in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel, with analysts and governments claiming pro-Russian campaigns are undermining stability.

Euronews

Burkina Faso pardons 21 soldiers involved in failed 2015 coup

Twenty-one soldiers, convicted for their role in the failed coup d'état in Burkina Faso in September 2015, have received a presidential pardon.

Radio France Internationale

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The Conversation

Senegal sees French troops depart as west Africa reassesses colonial ties

France has handed over control to the Senegalese government of two military bases in Senegal’s capital, Dakar that it has used for decades. The move follows an announcement in late 2024 by Senegal’s president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, that all foreign troops would be required to leave the country.

The Conversation

Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré is making waves in west Africa. Who is he?

Captain Ibrahim Traoré is the interim leader of Burkina Faso, having taken over the position following a coup which he led against Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba in September 2022. The 37-year-old captain had supported Damiba, his commanding officer, in a putsch earlier that year against former president Roch Marc…

The Guardian - UK

‘What a project, what a challenge!’: Africa’s leading architect gives Thomas Sankara a proper place of rest

Pritzker prize-winner Francis Kéré has designed a memorial to honour ‘Africa’s Che Guevara’, Burkina Faso’s visionary president who was assassinated in 1987

Radio France Internationale

Macron’s Africa 'reset' stumbles as leaders call out colonial overtones

French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to “reset” France’s relationship with its former African colonies appear to be faltering. Seven years after coming to power with promises of reform, a growing number of West African nations are asking for French troops to leave, signalling a breakdown in relations.

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The Conversation

West African military leaders prepare to exit Ecowas regional bloc, raising concerns for stability

Leaders of the west African regional grouping Ecowas approved the long-awaited withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the bloc in December. The three countries have been granted a six-month grace period from January 29, when their exit becomes official, to reconsider their decision.

Radio France Internationale

Burkina Faso extends amnesty to those involved in failed 2015 coup

Burkina Faso’s transitional legislative assembly has passed a bill granting amnesty to soldiers involved in the failed coup in September 2015.

The Conversation

Gabon’s coup leaders have changed the constitution to entrench their power – it’s a growing trend in west Africa

More than a year after a military coup, Gabonese citizens have held a referendum in which they approved a new draft constitution. The constitutional revisions targeted dynastic rule by introducing presidential term limits and banning family members of a sitting president from running for the office.

Radio France Internationale

Burkina Faso aims to reinstate death penalty, government source says

Burkina Faso's military regime wants to reinstate the death penalty, which was abolished in the country in 2018, a government source told AFP news agency on Saturday.

The Guardian - UK

Burkina Faso wants to reinstate death penalty, government source says

Military regime considering move after capital punishment abolished in west African country in 2018

France 24

Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso: How a triumvirate of military leaders are redrawing West Africa’s map

The military juntas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso signed a treaty of confederation Saturday bringing together 72 million people into the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). It’s a decision, they say, that will not only allow the three nations to wipe the scourge of jihadist violence from their countries,…

Radio France Internationale

New Sahel Confederation challenges regional order as ECOWAS seeks dialogue

The military heads of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger convened for the inaugural summit of the Confederation of the Sahel States (AES). The leaders emphasised territorial and popular sovereignty as core principles of their leadership through a new treaty. Concurrently, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is exploring…

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