The atmosphere in Ouagadougou is still tight, especially among the armed forces, one week after a coup attempt in Burkina Faso.
According to local media, a meeting that was supposed to include several army officials and was set for April 22 at the general staff headquarters was first postponed and then cancelled when the invited officers did not show up.
Many people were observed congregating near the Mogho Naaba Palace, Burkina Faso’s traditional seat of power, according to Radio France Internationale (RFI). Army members and the relatives of missing people were among them, underscoring the escalating hostilities in the West African nation.
Under strict security, a cabinet meeting was also convened on April 24 in the presidential palace. During the meeting, helicopters and sniffer dogs were stationed nearby.
High-alert conditions were imposed on certain military camps. In the southern section of the capital, military trucks were parked near the entrance to the General Baba Sy military base.
In support of the dictatorship, Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s administration has called for large-scale protests on April 30. Condemning what the government refers to as “Western interference” is the primary goal, especially in light of U.S. General Michael Langley’s claims that Burkina Faso’s gold reserves were being used to finance its security apparatus.
The military government of Burkina Faso declared on April 22 that it had thwarted a “major plot” to topple Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the head of the junta.
After intercepting contacts between terrorist leaders and a senior Burkinabé military official, authorities claim to have uncovered the plot.
On national television, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said that the conspirators comprised terrorist collaborators as well as active and retired troops. One of the soldiers he named as part of the scheme was Captain René David Ouédraogo. At the moment, Ouédraogo is evading capture.
