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Ibrahim Traoré and the New Pan-Africanism: A Challenge to the Geopolitical Order in Burkina Faso and the Sahel

  • Foto do escritor: Márcia Oliveira
    Márcia Oliveira
  • há 1 dia
  • 9 min de leitura

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in West Africa. It borders Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. The capital, Ouagadougou, serves as the cultural and economic center of this Sahelian country, which ranks as the fifth largest gold producer in Africa.

 




Burkina Faso's location on the globe


Prolonged Political Instability

Burkina Faso has faced prolonged political instability, marked by coups and internal conflicts. The Sahel region, where the country is located, is plagued by the activity of jihadist groups, exacerbating insecurity and political challenges. The increasing influence of these groups is related to various interconnected factors:

 

1. Propagation and Adaptation of Extremism: Groups like the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State-affiliated Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) have significantly expanded their activities in the region. Their ability to adapt to local contexts and forge tactical alliances with community or criminal groups has been crucial to their resilience. For instance, on May 11, 2025, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) reportedly claimed to have killed 200 Burkina Faso soldiers during an offensive against local forces in the country, which has been governed by a military junta led by Ibrahim Traoré since September 2022. The attacks took place in the city of Djibo. (Source: https://www.metropoles.com/mundo/grupo-filiado-a-al-qaeda-diz-ter-matado-200-militares-em-burkina-faso). Adding to this grim picture, Burkina Faso tragically sits a top the list of countries where terrorism has caused the most deaths globally, according to the Global Terrorism Index (Source: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/global-terrorism-index-2025).


2. Exploiting Intercommunal Conflicts: This isn't just about direct attacks; it's also about a more insidious strategy. Salafist jihadists frequently insert themselves into and exacerbate pre-existing ethnic and socio-economic tensions. They masterfully instrumentalize disputes over land, water, or resources, often polarizing communities by allying with one specific group against another. It's the classic 'divide and conquer' tactic in full play.


3. Limitations of Military and Security Operations: Despite significant efforts to counter the threat, joint operations by local and international forces (such as the G5 Sahel joint force and UN missions) aimed at containing the insurgencies have faced considerable limitations. Furthermore, widespread reports of human rights abuses by both state and international security forces severely undermine the trust of the local population, further complicating counter-terrorism efforts.


4. Severe Humanitarian and Socioeconomic Impact: Beyond the headlines of conflict and political instability, lies a devastating human toll. The continued violence and instability have resulted in a humanitarian crisis of alarming proportions. Millions of people have been forced to abandon their homes, becoming internally displaced persons (IDPs), with desperately limited access to food, water, shelter, and basic services. It's a desperate situation unfolding on the ground.


The so-called 'Sahel War,' which is devastating not only Burkina Faso but also its neighboring countries, is a complex and multifaceted conflict. It's characterized by a vicious cycle of violence, political instability, and a dire humanitarian crisis. This devastating situation is fueled by the complex dynamics of Jihadist extremism, which deeply roots itself in profound structural failures of states and long-unresolved social and economic tensions across the region.


An Overview of the Sahel Region

 

 





Here's the next section translated into a blog-style format:


The Sahel, a transitional region on the African continent, represents one of the greatest humanitarian and environmental challenges of our time, while also boasting a rich history and cultural diversity. Geographically, it's a vast, semi-arid strip that serves as a crucial biogeographical transition zone between the Sahara Desert to the north and the more fertile savannas and forests of Sub-Saharan Africa to the south. Its strategic location makes it a region of significant geopolitical importance.


1. Geographical Location and Countries


Stretching approximately 5,400 kilometers (about 3,350 miles) from east to west, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the Sahel encompasses parts of several countries. Those most associated with the region, and whose territories are largely within it, facing its challenges most acutely, include Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria (northernmost parts), Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Ethiopia (northern parts, especially the eastern lowlands). The interconnectedness of these countries has led to the formation of blocs like the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger), focused on security and development cooperation.


2. Climatic and Environmental Characteristics


The Sahel's climate is semi-arid – classified as such by the Köppen-Geiger climatic classification system (learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification) – characterized by a prolonged dry season (9 to 11 months) and a short, irregular, and increasingly unpredictable rainy season. Temperatures remain high throughout the year, with extreme peaks exacerbating evaporation and heat stress for both humans and animals. This climatic vulnerability makes the region extremely susceptible to extreme events and degradation processes, including prolonged droughts, desertification, and temperature variations.


3. Socioeconomic and Political Challenges Faced


Despite its rich cultural diversity and vast natural resources in some areas (like minerals), the Sahel faces multiple interconnected challenges that create a vicious cycle of instability and underdevelopment. These include:

  • Extreme poverty and food insecurity: A significant portion of the population lives in poverty, with limited access to consistent food sources.

  • Conflicts and insecurity: Ongoing conflicts, often fueled by extremist groups, displace populations and disrupt livelihoods.

  • Weak governance and corruption: These issues hinder effective public service delivery and resource management.

  • Rapid demographic growth: A rapidly growing population puts immense pressure on already scarce resources and services.


4. Initiatives for Sustainable Development and Environmental Management

To tackle these complex and interconnected challenges, various initiatives, both local and international, are underway, seeking to build resilience and promote sustainable development. One notable example is:


  • The Great Green Wall (GGW): This transcontinental project isn't just about planting trees; it's a holistic program focused on land restoration and rural development across the region. It's a beacon of hope, showing how communities can work together to combat desertification and improve livelihoods (discover more: https://thegreatgreenwall.org/about-great-green-wall).


The Sahel is, therefore, a region of extreme importance, where the fight against climate change, poverty, and insecurity intertwines with resilience, innovation, and the pursuit of a more prosperous and autonomous future for its people.

The Ibrahim Traoré Phenomenon



The ascent of Ibrahim Traoré to power in Burkina Faso, set against a backdrop of chronic instability and multifaceted challenges across the Sahel, quickly positioned him as a pivotal figure. For many, he has become a new symbol of Pan-Africanism (learn more about Pan-Africanism: https://www.gov.br/palmares/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/pan-africanismo-o-conceito-que-mudou-a-historia-do-negro-no-mundo-contemporaneo).


Meet Ibrahim Traoré, the man who's reshaping Africa's geopolitics.


At just 34 years old when he assumed interim leadership in 2022, Ibrahim Traoré quickly became a central figure in Burkina Faso, in a landscape of chronic instability and multifaceted challenges across the Sahel. For many, he represents a new symbol of Pan-Africanism (learn more about Pan-Africanism: https://www.gov.br/palmares/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/pan-africanismo-o-conceito-que-mudou-a-historia-do-negro-no-mundo-contemporaneo).


He embodies a generation of African leaders, predominantly military, who are proposing a drastic break from traditional geopolitical dynamics. This rupture aims to dismantle perceived neo-colonial structures and seek greater autonomy and sovereignty for the continent. Traoré's views and actions, especially in the Sahel, have sparked diverse reactions and profoundly impacted international relations, shaping the perception of a 'new' Pan-Africanism focused on unrestricted sovereignty, local empowerment, and the redefinition of external partnerships.


Profile and Trajectory


Ibrahim Traoré, born in 1988, is a Burkinabé army captain who led a coup d'état in September 2022, overthrowing then-interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, in whose January 2022 coup Traoré had been a participant. His trajectory is marked by a meteoric rise, driven by the widespread frustration of the population and the armed forces with the previous government's ineffectiveness in combating the jihadist insurgency plaguing the country. This frustration manifested in frequent attacks, the internal displacement of millions of people, and the perception of an inadequate state response.

Traoré emerged as the face of a military youth promising a more direct, 'innovative,' and autonomous approach to Burkina Faso's security and development. His apparent simplicity, the use of military uniforms in public appearances, and his direct, nationalist speeches quickly garnered popular support, especially among young people, who feel represented by his defiant stance.


Pan-Africanist Vision


Traoré's rhetoric strongly resonates with Pan-Africanist ideals, but with a contemporary twist and a particular emphasis on full sovereignty. He frequently stresses the need for Burkina Faso, and by extension all of Africa, to take control of their own destinies, away from the influence and dependence of foreign powers, especially Western ones. His speeches advocate for sovereignty based on three pillars:

  • Economic Sovereignty: This implies full control over Burkina Faso's natural resources (such as gold and manganese), the renegotiation of trade agreements deemed unequal, the promotion of local industrialization, and the reduction of dependence on foreign aid and conditional loans (read more: https://pmldaily.com/africa/2025/01/president-ibrahim-traores-transformational-two-years-a-new-era-for-burkina-faso.html).

  • Military Sovereignty: Focuses on self-sufficiency in defense, training and equipping local armed forces, and eliminating foreign military bases or reducing the presence of external troops, seeking an African-led security approach.

  • Cultural Sovereignty: Promotes the valuing of African languages, traditions, and educational systems, combating what is perceived as Western cultural hegemony.

Various videos on the internet praising Traoré's actions have gone viral across the African continent and beyond, such as these:



Traoré's Leadership: A Fertile Ground for Fake News


Traoré's leadership has unfortunately become fertile ground for the spread of misinformation and fake news, often driven by complex geopolitical narratives. A notorious example was a recent video falsely attributed to Pope Leo XIV, in which the pontiff supposedly praised Traoré and his government (check the facts: https://g1.globo.com/fato-ou-fake/noticia/2025/05/21/e-fake-que-papa-leao-xiv-discursou-em-apoio-a-ditadura-na-africa-conteudo-foi-gerado-por-inteligencia-artificial.ghtml).


This incident illustrates how interested parties, both internal (political opponents, groups with specific agendas) and external (foreign powers seeking to influence public opinion, mercenary information groups), can manipulate information to sway public perception. The construction of these narratives can involve the use of deepfakes, editing videos out of context, or creating entirely fabricated content.


Impacts of Disinformation


The consequences of such fake news for Traoré's image and the public perception of his leadership are multifaceted and dangerous. On one hand, it can strengthen support among his partisans, who view any criticism as part of an external conspiracy or a discredit campaign. On the other hand, it can erode trust in his leadership among more critical sectors of the population or within the international community, leading them to question the credibility of information circulating about him and his government. Furthermore, false narratives can be instrumentalized to justify external interventions, economic sanctions, or even the delegitimization of governments, further complicating the already complex scenario in Burkina Faso and the Sahel.


Geopolitical Analysis: A Shifting Landscape


Ibrahim Traoré's ascent and his staunch Pan-Africanist stance, which often includes open criticism of France and the Western military presence in the region, have been met with reluctance, concern, and in some cases, outright condemnation by some Western powers.

Historically, countries like France have maintained deep economic and strategic ties in the Sahel, including:

  • Exploitation of strategic natural resources: Such as uranium in Niger (Burkina Faso's neighbor) and gold in Burkina Faso itself.

  • A significant military presence for counterterrorism: Operations like Barkhane and Task Force Takuba, which were eventually ended under pressure from the new governments.

  • Considerable political influence: Shaping regional dynamics for decades.

Traoré's anti-Western rhetoric, coupled with Burkina Faso's rapprochement with other actors like Russia (especially in the security and military sectors) and China (for infrastructure investments), is viewed as a direct threat to established interests and regional stability, from a Western perspective.


Impact on International Relations


Traoré's new leadership and the resurgence of Pan-Africanism with a radical sovereignty bent have the potential to significantly reshape international relations in the Sahel region and across the African continent. This could lead to a realignment of alliances, with Sahelian countries seeking alternative partnerships less dependent on the West, as is already evident with the intensification of relations with Russia for military support and with China for economic development.


This, in turn, may influence regional politics, encouraging other countries to adopt similar stances or to re-evaluate their own relationships as former colonies. The instability in Burkina Faso and Traoré's posture have also generated tensions with regional organizations such as ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), which imposed sanctions and pressed for a quicker transition to civilian governments. In response, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a mutual defense organization that represents a direct challenge to ECOWAS's authority and signals a new era of regional blocs with distinct ideologies.


Concluding




Ibrahim Traoré has emerged as a controversial and charismatic figure, catalyzing a 'new' Pan-Africanism that prioritizes African sovereignty and autonomy within a complex and rapidly transforming geopolitical landscape. While his rise is seen by many as a legitimate response to popular frustrations and the ineffectiveness of previous governments in addressing the security and development crisis, it also takes place in an environment where disinformation proliferates, and major powers show clear displeasure with this paradigm shift.


Traoré's rhetoric, focused on self-determination and a departure from external influences, challenges the status quo. It has the potential to reshape power dynamics in the Sahel and the continent's international relations. The region's future will depend not only on the ability of leaders like Traoré to deliver concrete results in security and development but also on how the international community adapts to this new wave of African nationalism and the pursuit of sovereignty. The tension between the aspiration for autonomy and global geopolitical interests will likely continue to define Sahel’s landscape and the role of this new Pan-Africanism in the coming years, with significant implications for regional stability and international order.




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