Burkina Faso’s military junta made an announcement on Wednesday, revealing that they had successfully prevented a coup attempt the previous day through the efforts of security and intelligence services.
However, they did not provide specific details regarding the thwarted coup, leaving many questions unanswered.
In a statement issued by the junta, they disclosed that a group of individuals, including officers, had conspired with the aim of destabilizing the country, expressing concerns about their intention to attack the nation’s institutions and potentially plunge Burkina Faso into chaos.
Burkina Faso foils coup plot
While the junta refrained from identifying the individuals involved, they did acknowledge that some arrests had already been made, and efforts to locate others were ongoing.
They emphasized that thorough investigations would be conducted to reveal the masterminds behind the plot.
The military prosecutor’s office later confirmed that four individuals had been taken into custody, while two remained at large.
They stated that an investigation had been initiated based on credible allegations of a threat to state security involving military officers.
In addition to these developments, the junta took action on Monday by suspending the publication of the French news magazine Jeune Afrique.
The suspension was imposed due to the magazine’s publication of what the junta deemed “untruthful” articles reporting on tensions and discontent within Burkina Faso’s armed forces.
The current junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, came to power on September 30, 2022, marking the country’s second coup in just eight months.
These successive takeovers have been fueled in part by dissatisfaction over the government’s inability to effectively combat a growing jihadist insurgency that had infiltrated Burkina Faso from neighboring Mali in 2015.