Burkina Faso coup: What happened, who’s involved, and why it matters

When the Burkina Faso coup, a military takeover that removed President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January 2022 happened, it wasn’t just a local shock—it was part of a growing wave of instability across the Sahel. The soldiers who seized power, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, cited the government’s failure to stop jihadist violence as their reason. But the deeper issue? Years of neglect, rising poverty, and a military that felt abandoned by its own leaders. This wasn’t an isolated event. It followed similar takeovers in Mali and Guinea, and it set the stage for another coup just nine months later—this time by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who ousted Damiba in a power struggle that showed how fragile these new regimes really are.

The Sahel region instability, a stretch of land south of the Sahara plagued by extremist groups and weak governance is where the real story lies. Burkina Faso’s military rulers didn’t just want control—they needed to survive. With groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS gaining ground, the army was stretched thin and under-equipped. The public, tired of violence and broken promises, initially cheered the coups. But without real solutions, the same problems kept coming back. Meanwhile, foreign powers like France pulled out, Russia’s Wagner Group moved in, and regional alliances like ECOWAS struggled to respond. The West Africa politics, a landscape shifting from democratic norms to military rule are changing fast, and Burkina Faso is now a key example of how quickly a nation can unravel.

What’s next? The African coups 2025, a trend showing no signs of slowing aren’t just about power grabs—they’re symptoms of deeper failures: education systems collapsing, youth unemployment soaring, and international aid drying up. Burkina Faso’s story isn’t over. The current leader, Traoré, has promised elections, but no date has been set. Meanwhile, violence has only worsened, with over 2 million people displaced and basic services crumbling. This isn’t just Africa’s problem. It’s a warning: when governments lose trust, the military steps in—and then no one wins.

Below, you’ll find real reports from the ground, analysis on who’s behind these takeovers, and how they connect to global shifts in power, media, and security. No fluff. Just what’s actually happening in Burkina Faso—and why it matters to everyone watching the world change.