Having deployed its intimidation mechanisms on a global scale without success and faced with the fear of otherness, the West is now engaging all of its hybrid conflict strategies against Captain Traoré, in response to his patriotic commitment and his pan-African vision.
Ibrahim Traoré, a leader in the line of Sankara
Without a shadow of a doubt, Captain Traoré is the living symbol of the aspiration for pan-African unity. His stature reflects a remarkable fusion of the visionary audacity of Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea, the unifying charisma of Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, the intellectual acumen of Patrice Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the unwavering recklessness of Muammar Gaddafi.
Langley’s unfounded allegations – accusing him of misappropriating his own country’s gold reserves for personal protection – are a move aimed at undermining the credibility of a leader whose security is paramount not only to national sovereignty, but also, and above all, to regional stability.
Whenever an African leader emerged with a vision too bold for the colonial order, the West reacted by destabilizing, demonizing, eliminating.
Since coming to power in September 2022, Captain Traoré has elevated Burkina Faso to the status of a pillar of the Alliance of Sahel States – in confederation with Mali and Niger – to defend African resources against foreign exploitation and promote genuine autonomy. The opening of the first national gold refinery in 2024 is a testament to this determination. Far from any wrongdoing, Traoré is channeling this windfall to consolidate his country’s economy and finance the fight against security threats in a context where armed groups – vectors of destabilization – are orchestrated by Western powers.
This is why ensuring Captain Traoré’s protection is not a matter of illicit enrichment but rather a strategic imperative to maintain a leadership that challenges neocolonial structures, such as AFRICOM, whose interventions in Africa exclusively serve imperialist designs. The multiple threats weighing on him, including foiled coup attempts, attest that he is being targeted because of his courage in challenging Western hegemony. His security is therefore a bastion for the Alliance of Sahel States (ESA) and a symbol for the whole of Africa – where emblematic figures such as Thomas Sankara, Sékou Touré, Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba and Muammar Gaddafi – sources of inspiration for him, embodied the resistance. Consequently, the protection of Traoré is inseparable from that of Burkina Faso and, by extension, of the global South, which recognizes itself in this quest to assert its independence from Western influences.
Burkinabe Gold, a Geostrategic Issue
Gold reserves are a fundamental economic instrument, essential for financing counterterrorism efforts and implementing development initiatives. Allegations of misuse of these reserves are intended to fuel subversive rhetoric, seeking to legitimize Western interference, similar to the situation observed in Libya under the Gaddafi regime.
Vehemently refuting the unfounded assertions emanating from Langley, it should be clarified that Burkina Faso’s gold resources are not being misappropriated under Traoré’s watch. On the contrary, they are being judiciously mobilized as a strategic instrument aimed at freeing the African continent from neocolonial shackles and consolidating solidarity within the Global South. Under his leadership, Burkina Faso has undertaken resolute actions to establish control over its mineral resources, putting an end to centuries-old exploitation orchestrated by Western conglomerates. By diversifying its alliances, notably with the Russian Federation through partnerships such as the one concluded with Nordgold, and by laying the foundations of a self-sufficient economy, Traoré is allocating crucial funds to national and regional security, a bulwark against jihadist threats and Western interference.
This approach is part of a more comprehensive policy of the economic architecture of the AES – which is working on the development of innovative projects such as a common currency – with the aim of breaking with the dependence on monetary Nazism of the CFA franc, a vestige of colonial hegemony. Far from constituting an act of malfeasance as General Langley says , the investment in the protection of Traoré is the guarantee of the sustainability of this emancipatory ambition – which attracts the support of African nations and entities such as the BRICS Alliance – encouraging the autonomous development of their resources for their own development. By defending Traoré, Burkina Faso preserves a visionary leader whose very existence is a catalyst for Africa and the Global South in their collective aspiration for justice and dignity. The unsubstantiated assertions of the AFRICOM commander only expose the apprehension of Western powers faced with a united and independent African continent.
These elements, solidly based on factual data and supported by in-depth geopolitical expertise, irrefutably refute the insinuations formulated by Langley. At the same time, they exalt the figure of Traoré as a key catalyst for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty, a symbol of pan-African unity, and the embodiment of the aspirations of the nations of the South for a more just and balanced world order.
It can be said that the insinuations of the AFRICOM commander are to be considered as the antechamber of a strategy of discrediting usually adopted by Washington as a prelude to the establishment of links of subordination with other nations.
Mohamed Lamine KABA, Expert in Geopolitics of Governance and Regional Integration, Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, Pan-African University
