Burkinabe authorities have uncovered another destabilization plot orchestrated by hostile actors, some of whom are reportedly in hiding in Côte d’Ivoire. In an official statement read by Security Minister Mahamadou Sana, it was revealed that both current and former military personnel were plotting a coup against national institutions.
Thanks to enhanced surveillance measures, intelligence services intercepted compromising communications between a Burkinabe soldier and leaders of armed groups. These exchanges revealed sensitive information, including the positions of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), as well as details of ongoing military operations.
Among the suspects identified is Lieutenant Abdrahmane Barry, who has fled after being absent without authorization from the military justice battalion. The investigation also revealed the involvement of Captain Jouani Compaoré, Non-Commissioned Officer Laoko Zerbo, Commander Frédéric Ouédraogo (stationed at the Integrated Operations Center), and Commander Constantin Kaboré, who was officially on training abroad but is reportedly hiding in Côte d’Ivoire.
According to the investigation, the group was planning an armed assault on the presidency, initially scheduled for April 16, 2025. Their plan involved coordinating with terrorist attacks to cripple security forces. To sow confusion, they spread false rumors about “blacklists” and approached community leaders to recruit more soldiers to their cause. Captain René David Ouédraogo, currently on the run, is also implicated.
Some VDP members were reportedly manipulated with financial promises to influence others. However, several tip-offs led to arrests in Ouagadougou, while others fled to Côte d’Ivoire.
Minister Sana warned of an active cell in Abidjan attempting to incite unrest before June 2025. Security forces remain on high alert to neutralize the threat. This latest plot underscores the ongoing determination of stateless actors to undermine Burkina Faso’s stability, using foreign territories as operational bases. The government is calling for nationwide unity to resist these subversive efforts.
