Burkina Faso sacks ambassador to Ghana over alleged involvement in coup plot

The Burkinabe government has reportedly dismissed its Ambassador to Ghana, Sini Pierre Sanou, after allegations surfaced linking him to a plot to overthrow the administration of Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

The ruling military junta claims to have uncovered a conspiracy involving military and civilian groups based in both Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, aimed at destabilising the country.

Security Minister Mahamdou Sana confirmed in an official statement delivered via video on Monday, 23 September 2024 that the plot had been foiled. He further revealed that the conspiracy involved external actors and had received backing from foreign intelligence agencies.

“The Burkinabe public and the international community are informed that individuals residing in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire have been active in a subversion effort against our country. These actors of chaos, supported by certain intelligence services of Western powers, are made up of civilians of various profiles as well as military personnel and former military personnel,” said Sana.

This attempted coup is allegedly linked to the recent deadly attack on 24 August 2024, by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda. The attack, which took place in the Barsalogho Department in northern Burkina Faso, resulted in hundreds of deaths, marking it as one of the deadliest in the country’s history. Authorities suspect that the attack was part of a broader effort to destabilise the junta.

Burkina Faso’s ongoing struggle with extremist groups in its northern regions has contributed to a volatile political landscape. The Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), the military group currently in charge, seized power in January 2022 after a coup that ousted then-President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, whose administration was criticised for failing to curb the growing jihadist insurgency.

However, the MPSR’s original leader, Captain Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was also deposed in a subsequent coup in September 2022. His successor, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, now leads the junta, which has suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament, and imposed a nationwide curfew in an effort to restore stability.

The recent exposure of an attempted coup, allegedly backed by international actors, mirrors the ongoing challenges faced by the junta as it contends with both insurgent threats and internal power struggles.

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