Burkina Faso: Captain Traoré's Power Grab and the Sahel's Unstable Future

Burkina Faso experienced another military coup in September 2023, with Captain Ibrahim Traoré seizing power from President Paul-Henri Damiba. The coup, which began with gunfire near a military camp and an explosion near the presidential palace, resulted in the suspension of the constitution, the dissolution of the government, and the closure of borders. A curfew was imposed. A statement declared Damiba's rejection of proposals to reorganize the army. The video footage shows soldiers in the streets, and the narrator states, "This is a pattern that has become increasingly familiar in West and Central Africa." The instability highlights the challenges faced by governments in the Sahel region in combating Islamist insurgents.