Burkina Faso’s military junta has claimed it uncovered an international conspiracy to overthrow its regime, implicating neighbouring countries and foreign mercenaries in a plot that includes the massacre of hundreds of civilians by Islamist insurgents in August. The junta’s statement, made on Monday, has been met with scepticism from critics who accuse the government of attempting to deflect blame for the deteriorating security situation.
The junta, which came to power in a 2022 coup, initially promised to quell the jihadist violence that has plagued Burkina Faso for years. Instead, attacks have surged, leading to growing public frustration and discontent. Critics argue that the regime is using the recent surge in violence to distract from its own failings.
The most devastating attack occurred on August 24, when militants linked to al Qaeda killed hundreds of civilians in Barsalogho. The victims had been digging defensive trenches, ordered by the military, in a jihadist stronghold. The massacre sparked widespread anger, with many questioning why the civilians were left unprotected.
In his statement, interim security minister Mahamadou Sana claimed that the Barsalogho attack was the first phase of a coordinated attempt to destabilise the country, linking the violence to a plot involving foreign nations such as Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria, allegedly backed by Western intelligence and European mercenaries. Sana provided no evidence to support these claims.
Investigative journalist and outspoken junta critic Newton Ahmed Barry, who was named in the statement as a suspect, dismissed the accusations, calling them a ‘diversion’ to shift focus from the junta’s failure to protect civilians. ‘After Barsalogho, they needed to find a distraction given the scale of the tragedy,’ Barry wrote on social media.
Several analysts and civil society members echoed Barry’s views but chose to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation from the regime, which has been accused of suppressing dissent through abductions and torture. ‘This is a crude attempt to blame the opposition and frame them as accomplices of jihadist groups,’ said one analyst, referencing the al Qaeda-linked group responsible for the Barsalogho attack.
The junta has yet to respond to requests for further comment or provide concrete evidence to support their claims of a foreign-backed coup plot. Meanwhile, public outcry over the government’s handling of the violence continues to grow as Burkina Faso’s security crisis deepens.
