The military regime in power in Burkina Faso claimed on Monday evening, September 23, to have foiled “several attempts at destabilization” involving the former transitional president, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, and former ministers.
“We were able to foil several attempts at destabilization that were as pernicious as they were incessant”announced the Minister of Security, Mahamoudou Sana, in a statement read on national television: “These actors of chaos, supported by certain intelligence services of Western powers, are made up of civilians of various profiles as well as military personnel and former military personnel who have left the national territory to participate in propaganda and destabilization operations.”
Mahamoudou Sana presented Lieutenant Colonel Damiba as the head of the “military aspect of this plot”Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba seized power in a coup against President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January 2022, then was ousted eight months later in a second putsch orchestrated by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, currently in power.
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According to the Minister of Security, “the first attack, precursor of this operation” destabilization, was that of August 24 in Barsalogho, in the Centre-North region. During this attack claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda), more than 400 civilians were killed, according to local sources. No official toll has been released and Ibrahim Traoré has remained silent since then.
Giving many operational details and citing some fifteen names, including former Burkinabe officials, Mahamoudou Sana affirmed that the ultimate objective of this plan was to “take the presidential palace”in Ouagadougou. He announced that several people had been arrested, some of whom were reportedly killed during an escape attempt – including Ahmed Kinda, a former commander of Burkinabe special forces, presented as the “chief operations officer”.
The Nigerian journalist of Ivorian origin Serge Mathurin Adou, who has been missing in Niamey since 1er September, was also cited among the authors of this “conspiracy”Ivory Coast has again been accused of harboring people who “were active in a subversive enterprise”announced Mahamoudou Sana. At the beginning of July, Captain Traoré had affirmed that“an operations center to destabilize” Burkina was installed in Abidjan.
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“This plot was orchestrated by Burkinabe nationals living abroad”the security minister said, referring in particular to General Djibrill Bassolé, former foreign minister. In recent days, two of his children were abducted by armed men in Ouagadougou and their homes were searched.
