Captain Ibrahim Traore faces Western smear tactics for his reforms. Op-ed by Erasmus Ikhide exposes the imperialist agenda behind AFRICOM claims
Captain Ibrahim Traore
Keypoints:
- AFRICOM accused of misinformation over Traore
- Burkina Faso leader praised for public welfare reforms
- History shows similar attacks on past African icons
CAPTAIN Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, has emerged as a powerful symbol of 21st-century African resistance. Young, determined, and fiercely people-oriented, Traore’s African-centred policies have set him apart — and squarely in the sights of global powers uncomfortable with his Pan-Africanist vision.
The latest salvo came from General Michael Langley, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), who told the US Senate that Traore was allegedly enriching himself with Burkina Faso’s gold. It was a familiar accusation — dramatic, unverifiable, and conveniently timed to discredit a leader trying to shift his country’s trajectory.
But Langley’s narrative, echoed in Western outlets, ignored critical facts: Traore’s administration has rolled out free education from primary to university levels, universal healthcare, and a national housing initiative. These reforms represent a bold, if disruptive, effort to realign state priorities in favour of the Burkinabe people — not foreign partners or elite interests.
A continent awakening to old tactics
Across Africa, many see through the smear campaign. The pattern is clear: a popular leader challenges neocolonial norms, asserts national control over resources, and gets painted as unstable or corrupt by foreign voices with vested interests. In the eyes of many Africans, the accusation against Traore is less a revelation and more a signal — that the West sees him as a threat to its decades-old dominance in the region.
Such imperialist tactics have defined Western-Africa relations for decades. Rather than supporting African sovereignty, the West has often disrupted it, either through economic pressure or direct intervention.
The ghost of Sankara
Traore’s rise inevitably evokes memories of Thomas Sankara — Burkina Faso’s revered revolutionary leader who was assassinated in 1987. Like Traore, Sankara prioritised healthcare, literacy, women’s empowerment, and cutting foreign dependency. He too was demonised in Western narratives before being silenced.
Today’s Burkinabe see echoes of Sankara’s ideology in Traore’s actions. This resemblance has drawn admiration from Pan-Africanists and revolutionaries — and alarm from those who benefit from Africa’s dependency.
A long list of martyrs
Africa’s post-independence history is littered with leaders targeted by foreign powers. Patrice Lumumba of Congo was killed in 1961 amid CIA involvement. Togo’s Sylvanus Olympio was gunned down in 1963 after resisting French economic control. Guinea-Bissau’s Amilcar Cabral was assassinated in 1973 while fighting Portuguese colonialism.
Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was eliminated in 2011, with NATO backing rebels and enforcing a no-fly zone that culminated in his brutal murder. His attempt to establish a gold-backed African currency and a continental bank was considered too radical — and dangerous to global economic interests.
Other victims include Felix Moumie of Cameroon, poisoned in 1960 by a French agent; Mehdi Ben Barka of Morocco, who vanished in 1965 in a suspected French intelligence operation; and Eduardo Mondlane of Mozambique, assassinated by a parcel bomb in 1969.
These men were not saints, but neither were they the caricatures Western media made them out to be. They shared a common goal: an Africa that charted its own course.
Africa won’t be fooled again
The smear campaign against Traore has not gone unnoticed. Social media across the continent has lit up with criticism of AFRICOM and Western hypocrisy. Many Africans now recognise the coordinated nature of such attacks — and reject them outright.
What sets this moment apart is the readiness of Africans to challenge the narrative. Information no longer flows in one direction. For every international report casting doubt on Traore, there are dozens of counter-narratives emerging from Africans who support his reforms.
The real threat, many believe, is not Traore’s leadership — but his example. If Burkina Faso can reject Western influence and still deliver basic services to its people, what excuse do other African governments have?
AFRICOM’s real mission?
AFRICOM claims to promote stability and democracy, yet its presence often coincides with destabilisation and military posturing. Under its watch, nations like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have experienced political upheaval and a surge in anti-Western sentiment.
Critics argue that AFRICOM’s real objective is to ensure the free flow of African resources — not to protect African lives or defend democracy. Its operations are increasingly seen as tools of resource control rather than peacekeeping.
Weapons manufactured in the West are meant to be used. If not in Libya or Somalia, then perhaps in Burkina Faso — under the same justifications, cloaked in humanitarian language.
Sovereignty versus control
Traore’s vision threatens the West not because it is extreme, but because it is working. He is delivering social benefits without the IMF. He is asserting territorial integrity without French troops. He is building regional alliances without Western intermediaries.
His administration has embraced multilateralism with Sahel neighbours while seeking alternative development models. These shifts signal a new Africa — one that is tired of being managed, lectured to, and indebted.
It is not Traore’s alleged wealth that frightens the West. It is his influence.
The price of dignity
Africa has long paid the price for asserting independence. Leaders who choose the path of dignity and defiance often pay with their lives — or their reputations. Yet they persist, because the alternative is unacceptable: perpetual dependence.
The smear tactics, diplomatic pressure, and covert destabilisation are not signs of strength, but of desperation — signs that the colonial script is fraying, and new chapters are being written by Africans themselves.
The call to vigilance
Africa must remain vigilant. Traore’s fate will not only define Burkina Faso’s future but also test the resolve of a continent increasingly unwilling to be dictated to. The attempt to discredit him follows a dangerous tradition, but the response must mark a new one: collective defence of those who dare to lead differently.
This is not about one man. It is about reclaiming the right to define leadership, reform, and progress on African terms — not through the lens of foreign generals or distant parliaments.
Source: africabriefing.com
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