Latest news with #IbrahimTraore
Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Burkina Faso's latest TikTok star? Its president — thanks to Putin
Miraculously freed from his 31-year prison term, the American R&B singer R Kelly sits at a piano, tears in his eyes as he croons: 'Bullets fly but he don't fall, walkin' through the fire still answering the call … God protect Ibrahim Traore, protect Burkina Faso.' In the video, images flash of Traore fighting terrorists, treating wounded soldiers and praying. The 37-year-old leader of Burkina Faso is unmistakable, rarely seen without his sidearm and red beret that makes him look like Thomas Sankara, the Marxist revolutionary and Burkinabe leader of the 1980s. To even a barely trained eye, however, the video — which has racked up two million views on YouTube since May 3 — is fake, a creation of artificial intelligence and a good
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rising African star is Kremlin-backed revolutionary capitalising on anti-West sentiment
When Capt Ibrahim Traore met Vladimir Putin across a broad Kremlin table last week, many in Russia or indeed Europe may have been unaware who this charismatic young visitor in a red beret and battle dress was. In swathes of Africa however, with help from Russia, his face and name have recently been unavoidable, particularly on social media. The youngest leader on the continent after a 2022 coup brought him to power in Burkina Faso, he is seen by many disillusioned youth as a messianic figure following in a line of African revolutionaries. His message of self-reliance and independence from the West, particularly from France, the former colonial ruler, has resonated with frustrated young people across Africa looking for political saviours. At the age of 37, Mr Traore is also a far cry from the continental caricature of a doddering octogenarian ruling over a population where the average age is still in the teens. Some even see him as a reincarnation of Thomas Sankara, the Burkinabe Marxist and pan-Africanist revolutionary who ruled for four years in the 1980s. Yet analysts and diplomats say while his burgeoning reputation is rooted in genuine disillusion with Africa's leadership and his desire for more equal relations with the West, it is also allegedly being expertly boosted and burnished by a Russian disinformation campaign. The barrage of propaganda is aimed at building him up as an anti-Western icon and at distracting attention from Burkina Faso's dire security situation, which neither Mr Traore, nor his Russian backers have been able to fix. His personality cult has in recent weeks been pushed into overdrive by a deluge of social media propaganda, often misleading, portraying him as a fearless reformer who defied Western powers and reclaimed his country's dignity. This potent online myth-making has secured his place as a pan-African hero for many who contrast his vigour with the shortcomings of their own leaders. 'The rise of Traore is certainly making a lot of African leaders very uncomfortable,' says Ryan Cummings, a director of Signal Risk. Mr Traore took power after a 2022 putsch capitalised on popular anger at the failure to deal with a bloody Islamist insurgency. His junta quickly pivoted to kick out French troops and embrace Russia, alongside Mali and later Niger, creating a belt of pro-Kremlin military governments in the Sahel. Moscow has agreed to provide mercenaries, arms and expertise, in return for access to the region's natural resources, notably gold. Among the advantages of being aligned with Russia, is also access to the Kremlin's disinformation expertise, which has seemingly been put at the service of building Mr Traore into an African icon. Widely shared posts have made misleading claims such as he has paid off the country's sovereign debt, that there are mass marches in the West in support of the Sahelian regimes, that Donald Trump has paid homage to Mr Traore's leadership, or that Burkina Faso has independently developed Africa's first electric cars. In some of the most audacious propaganda released earlier this month, deepfake AI videos purportedly show stars including Beyonce and Rihanna singing anthems in his honour. One ballad appears to show the Crazy in Love singer urging God to protect Mr Traore and relating how he 'kicked out the soldiers from the old regime,' and 'told the West we reclaim the dream'. Credit: @LilR3Vi / YouTube 'The propaganda is utterly overwhelming and, while it's sometimes organic, the vast majority of it is intimately tied to Russia and potentially several of Moscow's Latin American allies,' says Will Brown of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'The object is pretty clear – it's an anti-Western, anti-democratic agenda which glorifies strong man military leadership among a core base of disaffected youth. 'I think it's also increasingly about spreading anti-Western sentiment and hostile information through African diaspora populations.' The military ruler has quickly become an icon beyond Burkina Faso's borders, used to chastise other leaders. Last month, Hilda Dokubo, a Nigerian actress and politician, said: 'Ibrahim Traore is all the proof Nigerians need to know that a country takes the shape of its leadership and that Nigeria is where it is because of the wickedness of her leaders.' Yet the sheen of Mr Traore's image contrasts with the reality of his junta and the terrible security conditions in the country. Despite his pledge to tighten security, his forces are estimated to control as little as 35 per cent of the country, with jihadist groups like Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) besieging towns. Data from the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project show that while 2,894 people were killed by both government and armed groups during the year before the 2022 coup. That number has reached 7,200 in the last year. His regime is accused of abuses against civilians and cracking down on the media. Militants launched a string of attacks on May 11 as Mr Traore made his way back from his meeting with Putin. JNIM, a West African affiliate of al-Qaeda, said it had overrun an army base in the northern town of Djibo. It was impossible to verify claims that 200 soldiers had been killed, but satellite pictures showed widespread damage. His military weakness may ultimately make him vulnerable to another coup and may be the reason Russia is making so much effort to build up his image. Mr Cummings said: 'Traore is being propped up because he is the most vulnerable [of the Sahel junta leaders] to being overthrown.' For all his anti-colonial rhetoric, he may also have traded one domineering partner for another. He said: 'Preferential treatment that was being given to France is now just being given to Russia.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Russia's Growing Sahel Influence a Worry for Jittery West
SUPPORTERS of Burkina Faso's leader, Ibrahim Traore, demonstrate their support for Russia in Ouagadougou. The termination of the French and US missions in the Sahel countries was framed as an assertion of sovereignty and independence from erstwhile colonisers and contemporary neo colonial and imperial forces to make it more politically appealing to the citizens of these countries, says the writer. Image: AFP Dr. Sizo Nkala RUSSIAN influence in the Sahel region has been on the rise since the coup wave of recent years. The junta leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger who seized power in 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively, wasted little time in severing relations with their erstwhile colonizer, France, while embracing Russia. In 2022, Mali terminated the French-led Operation Barkhane, which saw about 2400 French troops withdrawing from the country as the Assimi Goita-led military junta argued that the operation had not been effective in its ten-year battle against the Islamist insurgency. His counterparts, Ibrahim Traore in Burkina Faso and Abdourahamane Tchiani in Niger followed suit kicking out French troops out of their countries in 2023 citing their failure to stamp out jihadist insurgencies. Public rallies were organized in Niger to add public pressure on the French troops. Rally attendees were waving Russian flags and chanting Russian affirmations. About 1000 US troops also stationed in Niger for counterinsurgency purposes withdrew from the country in 2024 at the instigation of the military junta. The termination of the French and US missions in the Sahel countries was framed as an assertion of sovereignty and independence from erstwhile colonisers and contemporary neocolonial and imperial forces to make it more politically appealing to the citizens of these countries. Seeing an opportunity to establish a geostrategic foothold, Russia, through its proxy mercenary outfit – the Wagner Group (now rebranded the Africa Corps) – swiftly moved to fill in the vacuum promising to deal ruthlessly with the jihadist insurgents riding on the back of its relative success in the Central African Republic (CAR) where it helped to defend the Faustin-Archange Touadera regime against the rebels. The African Corps is fully funded by the Russian state, which makes them an instrument of Moscow's foreign policy in Africa. Russia also relies on its history of supporting anti-colonial liberation movements in Africa to portray itself as a trustworthy partner compared to the West, which cannot shake off the coloniser tag. Moreover, facing Western isolation over the Ukraine war, Russia desperately needed diplomatic allies in Africa. Its active support of and military presence in the three Sahelian states is an attempt to project its power in Sub-Saharan Africa and show its commitment to the peace and security of the continent in the hopes of swaying more African countries to its side in its standoff with the West. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Apart from the diplomatic support, Moscow is also interested in establishing economic relationships with the Sahelian states which boast major reserves in gold (Burkina Faso) and uranium (Niger). Burkina Faso, which has been turning the screws on western mining companies operating in the country, recently granted a Russian firm, Nordgold, an industrial mining license to conduct operations in the Kourweogo province. About 1500 members of the Group arrived in Mali at the beginning of 2022 following an invitation from Assimi Goita to help repel the insurgents, who had wreaked havoc in the West African country since 2017. Goita and his allies had seized power on the promise that they would eliminate the rebels and stabilise the security situation in the country. Soon after it changed its name to Africa Corps, 100 members of the group landed in Burkina Faso to help Traore's government fight the insurgents in January 2024. Niger received its own contingent of Africa Corps a few months later with the same mandate. Thus, Russia has effectively replaced France and the US as an alternative security partner and political patron for the Sahelian states. In addition to the presence of its mercenary company, Russia has also become an important arms supplier for the three countries. Since 2021, Mali has received significant amounts of Russian military equipment including over 100 military vehicles, helicopter gunships, military jets and ammunition. Burkina Faso has received military instructors from Russia to train its security personnel. In a major diplomatic move, the foreign ministers of the three countries travelled to Russia early in April under the aegis of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to strengthen the alliance's relationship with Russia. Their meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yielded a commitment by Moscow to support the 5000 strong joint force established by the three juntas to address the security challenges in the region. This force is founded on the mutual defence pact signed by the three countries in 2023. Ultimately, the utility of this new security partnership will be judged on its ability to contain and suppress the jihadist insurgents. Thus far, the new partnership has not made significant inroads in addressing the security situation. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 report, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are in the top 5 countries most affected by terrorism in the world. * Dr. Sizo Nkala is a Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Rising African star is Kremlin-backed revolutionary capitalising on anti-West sentiment
When Capt Ibrahim Traore met Vladimir Putin across a broad Kremlin table last week, many in Russia or indeed Europe may have been unaware who this charismatic young visitor in a red beret and battle dress was. In swathes of Africa however, with help from Russia, his face and name have recently been unavoidable, particularly on social media. The youngest leader on the continent after a 2022 coup brought him to power in Burkina Faso, he is seen by many disillusioned youth as a messianic figure following in a line of African revolutionaries. His message of self-reliance and independence from the West, particularly from France, the former colonial ruler, has resonated with frustrated young people across Africa looking for political saviours. At the age of 37, Mr Traore is also a far cry from the continental caricature of a doddering octogenarian ruling over a population where the average age is still in the teens. Some even see him as a reincarnation of Thomas Sankara, the Burkinabe Marxist and pan-Africanist revolutionary who ruled for four years in the 1980s. Yet analysts and diplomats say while his burgeoning reputation is rooted in genuine disillusion with Africa's leadership and his desire for more equal relations with the West, it is also allegedly being expertly boosted and burnished by a Russian disinformation campaign. The barrage of propaganda is aimed at building him up as an anti-Western icon and at distracting attention from Burkina Faso's dire security situation, which neither Mr Traore, nor his Russian backers have been able to fix. His personality cult has in recent weeks been pushed into overdrive by a deluge of social media propaganda, often misleading, portraying him as a fearless reformer who defied Western powers and reclaimed his country's dignity. This potent online myth-making has secured his place as a pan-African hero for many who contrast his vigour with the shortcomings of their own leaders. 'The rise of Traore is certainly making a lot of African leaders very uncomfortable,' says Ryan Cummings, a director of Signal Risk. Mr Traore took power after a 2022 putsch capitalised on popular anger at the failure to deal with a bloody Islamist insurgency. His junta quickly pivoted to kick out French troops and embrace Russia, alongside Mali and later Niger, creating a belt of pro-Kremlin military governments in the Sahel. Moscow has agreed to provide mercenaries, arms and expertise, in return for access to the region's natural resources, notably gold. Among the advantages of being aligned with Russia, is also access to the Kremlin's disinformation expertise, which has seemingly been put at the service of building Mr Traore into an African icon. Widely shared posts have made misleading claims such as he has paid off the country's sovereign debt, that there are mass marches in the West in support of the Sahelian regimes, that Donald Trump has paid homage to Mr Traore's leadership, or that Burkina Faso has independently developed Africa's first electric cars. In some of the most audacious propaganda released earlier this month, deepfake AI videos purportedly show stars including Beyonce and Rihanna singing anthems in his honour. One ballad appears to show the Crazy in Love singer urging God to protect Mr Traore and relating how he 'kicked out the soldiers from the old regime,' and 'told the West we reclaim the dream'. 'The propaganda is utterly overwhelming and, while it's sometimes organic, the vast majority of it is intimately tied to Russia and potentially several of Moscow's Latin American allies,' says Will Brown of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'The object is pretty clear – it's an anti-Western, anti-democratic agenda which glorifies strong man military leadership among a core base of disaffected youth. 'I think it's also increasingly about spreading anti-Western sentiment and hostile information through African diaspora populations.' The military ruler has quickly become an icon beyond Burkina Faso's borders, used to chastise other leaders. Last month, Hilda Dokubo, a Nigerian actress and politician, said: 'Ibrahim Traore is all the proof Nigerians need to know that a country takes the shape of its leadership and that Nigeria is where it is because of the wickedness of her leaders.' Yet the sheen of Mr Traore's image contrasts with the reality of his junta and the terrible security conditions in the country. Despite his pledge to tighten security, his forces are estimated to control as little as 35 per cent of the country, with jihadist groups like Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) besieging towns. Data from the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project show that while 2,894 people were killed by both government and armed groups during the year before the 2022 coup. That number has reached 7,200 in the last year. His regime is accused of abuses against civilians and cracking down on the media. Militants launched a string of attacks on May 11 as Mr Traore made his way back from his meeting with Putin. JNIM, a West African affiliate of al-Qaeda, said it had overrun an army base in the northern town of Djibo. It was impossible to verify claims that 200 soldiers had been killed, but satellite pictures showed widespread damage. His military weakness may ultimately make him vulnerable to another coup and may be the reason Russia is making so much effort to build up his image. Mr Cummings said: 'Traore is being propped up because he is the most vulnerable [of the Sahel junta leaders] to being overthrown.' For all his anti-colonial rhetoric, he may also have traded one domineering partner for another. He said: 'Preferential treatment that was being given to France is now just being given to Russia.'
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First Post
17-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Al Qaeda affiliate claims killing 200 soldiers in Burkina Faso base attack
Satellite footage from the day of the attack shows burn marks and smoke over the military base, burn marks on a nearby prison and plumes of smoke above a hospital and market read more Militants gather in Djibo, Burkina Faso, where a military base was attacked, in this still image obtained from social media video released May 12, 2025. Reuters A West African al Qaeda affiliate said it killed 200 soldiers in an attack on an army base in Burkina Faso this week, according to a group that tracks the online activity of Islamist militants. Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) made the latest declaration via a formal statement, U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group said on Thursday, a day after it said JNIM had claimed to have killed 60 soldiers in a different attack in the northern Loroum province. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Reuters could not immediately verify the statements. Burkina Faso's government did not respond to a request for comment. The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, with hundreds of fighters overrunning and destroying it, security sources told Reuters at the time. A police station and market were also targeted, they said. Satellite footage from the day of the attack shared with Reuters shows burn marks and smoke over the military base, burn marks on a nearby prison and plumes of smoke above a hospital and market. Although there was no official toll or government statement on the attack, three Djibo residents told Reuters that dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed. JNIM has since blocked road access to the Djibo base. SITE previously said Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina Faso, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to leave the town for their own safety. Analysts say JNIM has been ramping up attacks in Burkina Faso, where a military junta that seized power in 2022 promising security has increasingly struggled to turn the tide against Islamist insurgents. JNIM claimed multiple attacks in Burkina Faso on May 11 alone as junta leader Ibrahim Traore was visiting Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Conflict Armament Research, a group that tracks illicit arms flows, told Reuters that Islamist groups in West Africa's Sahel region have been targeting military positions to reinforce their arsenals. 'The strategy Salafi jihadist groups have implemented in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger of diverting weapons from state custody to strengthen their military and propaganda objectives, continues to prove highly effective,' the group said.
