The geopolitical drama unfolding in Burkina Faso is more than a local military affair; it’s a powerful symbol of a continent-wide awakening. The recent attempts to discredit and destabilize Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the nation’s leader, by branding him a “criminal” for nationalizing the country’s gold reserves, are part of a sinister, familiar imperialist playbook.
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The conversation around Traoré, his policies, and the extraordinary popular support he enjoys from Africans globally, reveals a deep-seated struggle between old neocolonial control and the burning desire for genuine African sovereignty.
The Imperialist Narrative: Illegitimacy and Groundwork for Action
The strategy, articulated by figures like US General Michael Langley of AFRICOM, is twofold:
- Building an Illegitimacy Narrative: By repeatedly labeling Traoré’s government a “junta” and accusing him of using national gold reserves for personal and governmental self-preservation, they aim to erode the government’s credibility. This tactic, perfected in historical conflicts like the Iraq War, seeks to create a pre-justification for intervention. As history shows, a lie repeated often enough begins to take hold as ‘truth,’ controlling the narrative to pave the way for future action.
- Laying the Groundwork for Action: Accusations, especially when placed on official record, quickly border on policy. This rhetoric is often paired with concrete military positioning. The presence of US special forces in neighboring Côte d’Ivoire and Chad signals a coordinated effort to encircle and destabilize Burkina Faso, a classic move of “fighting from behind the scenes” or puppeteering—a tactic imperialism is “in love with.”
The Deeper Trick: The use of black faces, such as General Langley or Kemi Badenoch, to articulate these imperialist interests is a calculated tactic of divide and rule. It’s a call to the global African diaspora to recognize this maneuver and stop allowing themselves to be used to do the “dirty work” of systems that fundamentally oppose true African autonomy.
Insecurity: The Engine of Destabilization
The primary tool for wearing down the will of the Burkinabé people and creating an environment ripe for a coup is the persistent insecurity plaguing the country.
The genesis of this instability traces back to the NATO attack on Libya and the subsequent flow of jihadists into the Sahel. For years, Western forces—particularly France—were on the ground, yet the jihadist threat suspiciously persisted. Traoré and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have correctly identified that the continued insurgency is enabled by foreign backers who profit from the instability.
This continuous conflict forces Burkina Faso to divert massive resources—often 80% or more of its budget—from development towards purchasing necessary weapons and high-tech drones from allies like Turkey and Russia (it is crucial to remember these are purchases, not free gifts).
The Patriot Support Fund: A Model for Africa
In a profound act of popular sovereignty, Burkina Faso has established the Patriot Support Fund. This fund, financially backed by the voluntary contributions of ordinary Burkinabé citizens, is used to purchase the weapons needed for national defense.
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- In the first quarter of this year alone, the fund raised the equivalent of $56 million USD.
- This is nearly twice what Kenya earned from its coffee exports in the same period last year.
This fund proves that Africans are willing and able to invest in their own security and national assets. It is a powerful lesson for countries across Africa to move beyond dependency on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and embrace economic warfare against external control by enabling citizens to own and fund national strategic assets.
The Currency of Change: Gold and Sovereignty
The ultimate source of the imperialists’ fear and other African presidents’ jealousy is Traoré’s economic vision: a new currency backed by Burkina Faso’s gold.
Burkina Faso is setting up a national gold reserve to move away from a currency tied to the whims of the US Dollar.
- The country holds an estimated 6.5 million metric tons of gold reserves, making it the 15th leading producer globally.
- By nationalizing and localizing its 17 industrial mines and supporting artisanal mines that employ over 1.2 million people, Traoré is ensuring that the wealth generated directly serves the Burkinabé people.
When this new gold-backed currency emerges for the Sahelian states, it will be a potent, stable currency. This will provide the economic dividends that prove revolution is not just about rhetoric, but about making the lives of people better. The resulting strength will be a shock to countries whose currencies remain subservient to the dollar, fueling the envy of African leaders still bound by neocolonial arrangements.
A Call to Action: The People’s Responsibility
The silence of most African presidents is a symptom of a deep-seated tradition of subservience to foreign masters—a modern continuation of the indirect rule seen during the colonial era. They fear Traoré because he represents a transformative, servant-leader model that threatens their status quo.
But the power to change this rests with the African people.
- The Youth Must Lead: Traoré (34) and Thomas Sankara (33) show that the youth of Africa no longer have the luxury of waiting. Young people must become politically conscious, run for office, and support transformative leaders who champion Pan-Africanist ideals.
- Vote for the Cause: If you praise Traoré but vote for leaders whose actions betray the cause of sovereignty, you are an agent of betrayal. Africans must interrogate Western-style democracy and demand leaders who serve the people, not foreign interests.
- Show Solidarity: The massive demonstrations across the globe on April 30th were a testament to the popular support for Traoré.The call to action is to go further:
- Contribute to the Patriot Support Fund (as soon as a mechanism for international contribution is established).
- Visit Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. Tourism companies are challenged to organize trips to West Africa instead of Dubai, fostering unity and injecting funds directly into the new-era economies.
The message is clear, as proclaimed by a young man’s placard in Ouagadougou: “Today AES, Tomorrow the United States of Africa.”
The spirit of Traoré is not a romanticized myth—it is a tangible call for every African to do something concrete to birth a new Africa. As Thomas Sankara’s national anthem states: Homeland or death, we will triumph