Ibrahim Traorè, Reforms And Pan-Africanism – OpEd

Ibrahim Traorè, an Army Captain who overthrew the than Interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in September 2022 in a coup d,etat was born in 1988 in Bondokuy, Burkina Faso. He is now 37 years old and is the second youngest head of state in the world.

Traorè studied Geology at the University of Ouagadougou and was part of the Association of Muslim Students and the Marxist National Association of Students of Burkina Faso (ANEB). He is a good orator and has admirable English communication skills. These have made him an iconic and charismatic figure on social media.

Traorè has a courageous military career. He joined MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) a United Nations peacekeeping force involved in the Mali War. In 2018, Traorè was cited as one of the MINUSMA soldiers who had showed undefeatable courage in the midst of rebel attacks in the Tombouctou Region of Mali. He also assisted in operations against the increasing Jihadist insurgency in the country. Traorè also fought in Djiboti in a famous operation “Otapuanu offensive” in 2019. He has also taken steps for the recruitment of volunteers for state defense.

With the passage of time (As the military head usually does after the coup) Ibrahim Traorè also assumed the position of Interim President as “Head of State, Supreme and Head of the Armed Forces of Burkino Faso. After coming into power, at first, he promised to hold democratic elections in July 2024 and restoration of Democracy. But it did not held rather the military government scrapped election commission of the county and termed it a burden on country,s economy. His regime later announced new transition plan according to that Throrè might be in power at least untill 2029.

Traorè who had also justified his own coup by saying the increasing threat of terrorism in the country and promising to defeat the extremists within six months. He has failed yet in defeating the Jihadists. Currently, half of Burkina Faso is under the control of Jihadist armed groups.

Ibrahim Traorè played crucial role in the foundation of Sahel states that is a confederation and a defense pact formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso which was formed on 16 September 2023. This is a Semi_arid transitional zone of Africa. After the formation of this bloc the signatory states withdrew from the economic community of West African states and the G5 Sahel security alliance in 2025.

After seizing power, he parted ways with France as Burkino Faso had been once its colony. In this regard, in February 2023, Traorè’s government expelled French forces from Burkina Faso. Apart from this, Ibrahim Traorè has mostly parted ways with America and Europe and has shaken hands with Russia.

Internally, he is busy in more reforms.

The government passed a new “Family Law” as per which, for the first time in the history of Burkina Faso same-sex relationships have been criminalized.

He is also taking steps by reforming state economy. Under his leadership as par the APA reports,”In November 2023, Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers approved the construction of the country’s first Gold refinery. That marked a gigantic development in Burkina Faso’s Gold sector, aiming to capitalize with the refinery producing roughly 400 kg of Gold daily.”

He has also ended Gold smuggling abroad with an Iron hand.

On 29 July 2023, following the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit, Ibrahim Traorè asserted that Burkina Faso supported Russia, and further said that a decision had been made to reopen the Russian embassy on the country which was closed in 1992. Apart from this, Traorè also deployed Russian troops, including the Wagner Group in Burkina Faso in January 2024.

In a speech he criticised America. He asserted that the killing of million of children in Iraq, the destruction of Iraq and the mantra against Iraq of having Weapons of mass destruction was a pretext to attack Iraq.

Traorè has been postured as a symbol of Pan-Africanism on social media. Dr. Seth Appiah-Mensah writes on Australian Outlook Blog that, “Burkina Faso’s interim President, Ibrahim Traoré, has reignited Pan-African consciousness with a bold anti-imperialist agenda rooted in self-reliance, resource nationalism, and unity against neo-colonial influence. His leadership has sparked solidarity movements across Africa and the diaspora, challenging the continent’s political elite to match the aspirations of its youth. Its leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has chosen to follow the country’s former slain revolutionary leader, Captain Thomas Sankara, whose agenda focused on land reform, women’s rights, and economic independence—challenging the neo-colonial dependencies that plagued many African nations. While this has endeared him to Burkinabé, it is his anti-imperialist stance and strong Pan-African Consciousness that has endeared him to Africans across the globe. But that has also earned him some predictable enemies.”

Economically, he also adopted left-wing economic policies which included building up a state-owned mining company, requiring foreign firms to provide it a 15% stake in their local operations in the country and transfer of skills to the people of Burkina Faso. A Russian miner Nordgold was also given a licence this year for its investment in the country’s Gold industry.

He has reduced ministerial and parliamentary salaries by 30 percent whereas he has increased civil servant wages by 50 percent. 

The BBC reports that, “In a sign that his Russian-allied junta has made some progress on the economic front, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have given a generally upbeat assessment. In a statement in early April, the IMF said that despite a “challenging humanitarian and security” environment, the economy was expected to remain “robust” in 2025, and the regime had made “commendable progress” in raising domestic revenue, containing the public wage bill, and increasing spending on education, health and social protection. As for the World Bank, it said that inflation had surged from 0.7% in 2023 to 4.2% in 2024, but the extreme poverty rate, which refers to people living on less than $2.15 [£1.61] a day, had fallen by almost two percentage points to 24.9% because of “robust growth” in the agriculture and services sectors.”

In addition, in the sphere of Agricultural development Traoré has invested in farming infrastructure, established two tomato processing factories, and distributed hundreds of tractors and motorized pumps, veterinary products for boosting agricultural productivity in the country and diminish export reliance.

Traorè stopped exporting unrefined Gold to Europe, inaugurated a national refinery that could process 150 tonnes of Gold annually and established national support center for Artisanal Cotton processing. These developments reflect that he is trying to build an industrial economy.

He has also rejected taking loans from the IMP and World Bank owing to their tough conditionalities.

Like all autocratic rulers Throrè has also silenced every opponent voice. The BBC reports that, “His junta has also cracked down on dissent, including the opposition, media and civil society groups and punished critics, among them medics and magistrates, by sending them to the front-lines of the war against the Jihadists.”

Ibrahim Traorè is facing huge challenges such as Security situation in the country where Jihadist movements have posed big threats to the government, its socio-economic, health and educational activities that have resulted in the migration of million of people across the country. The second challenge is building strong institutions, institutional reforms, increasing bureaucratic efficiency, ending corruption, ensuring good governance and empowering local government through decentralisation efforts.

The third challenge is creating Political stability upon which economic development is dependent. This will help in constitutional rule, and enhancing investors confidence so that to attract the FDI. The fourth challenge is the establishment of a robust non-alligned foreign relations with the world not with specific states. Creating enemy is never a good choice in foreign relations. The fifth challenge is the fulfillment of its dream if Pan-Africanism, where every state has its own interests. Will he be able to encounter these challenges successfully? The answer is uncertain.