Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – Burkinabe authorities have announced the thwarting of a planned coup d’état, alleging involvement of external actors, principally Ivory Coast. This development threatens to further strain relations between Ouagadougou and its southern neighbor.
According to Burkina Faso’s Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, the coup was scheduled for January 3, 2026, at 11:00 PM. The plan reportedly included assassinations of key civilian and military officials, with Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the current transitional president, as a primary target. Sana stated the plot involved either directly assassinating President Traoré or bombing his residence.
The foiled scenario also included disabling the drone base, allegedly paving the way for a ground intervention by foreign forces, aiming to destabilize the country’s power structure. The Minister described this as the “thousandth” such attempt.
Sana directly implicated former transitional president, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, currently exiled in Togo since his ouster in 2022. Damiba is accused of coordinating operations, securing funding, and recruiting civilians and military personnel for the plot.
In an escalating tone, the Security Minister revealed that a significant portion of the funding for this alleged “destructive project” originated from Ivory Coast. He cited a recent transaction of 70 million West African CFA francs, equivalent to approximately 106,000 Euros. He stated that several arrests have been made, and security operations are ongoing to dismantle the remaining network.
State-owned media has broadcast what it claims are confessions from a key suspect, described as a businessman deeply involved in the plot. The individual allegedly confessed to traveling to Ivory Coast to receive funds.
DZWatch will continue to monitor this developing situation.
