Under the leadership of Commander Yabré, head of the National State Security Council, Burkinabe authorities have foiled a destabilization plot orchestrated by a network of dissident soldiers and former officers. According to an official statement relayed by Security Minister Mahamadou Sana, the conspiracy was aimed directly at undermining the country’s republican institutions.
Following heightened surveillance ordered by the Council, intelligence services intercepted communications between a Burkinabè soldier and leaders of armed groups. These exchanges revealed sensitive information about the movements of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), exposing a coordinated effort to sabotage ongoing military operations.
The investigation identified several military officers allegedly involved, including Lieutenant Abdrahmane Barry, who disappeared after abandoning his post, Captain Jouani Compaoré, non-commissioned officer Laoko Zerbo, and Commanders Frédéric Ouédraogo and Constantin Kaboré. Kaboré, officially said to be in training abroad, is believed to have sought refuge in Côte d’Ivoire, where an active cell continues to operate.
According to gathered intelligence, the group was plotting an armed assault on the presidency scheduled for April 16, 2025. Their plan was to trigger a shockwave by coordinating the attack with terrorist incidents, while spreading rumors of so-called “blacklists” to fuel panic among the population. The conspirators also allegedly tried to win over VDP members by promising financial rewards. Captain René David Ouédraogo, also implicated, is reported to have fled.
Several arrests were made in Ouagadougou, thanks to citizen reports, though some suspects managed to escape to Côte d’Ivoire. In response, Commander Yabré has reinforced security monitoring around key state institutions. He has called for vigilance and unity in the face of an ongoing foreign-backed threat aimed at destabilizing Burkina Faso.
