Burkina Faso’s strongman, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, is facing serious scrutiny from political pundits and scribes after his recent address marking three years since seizing power, with observers dismissing his delivery as a “revolution of illusions.”
The address, delivered before a carefully selected press gallery, was described as “more theatre than substance” and a “self-congratulatory monologue” that failed to address the harsh realities facing a nation ravaged by terrorism and displacement. Traoré sought to project himself as the torchbearer of a new African revolution, but his sweeping claims and revolutionary soundbites were viewed as detached from the on-the-ground reality.
The Captain’s claims regarding the military’s preparedness were deemed exaggerated, though he did reassure listeners that 15,000 men are now recruited annually. Critics noted the populist pattern of “imagination over implementation, rhetoric over realism.”
Perhaps the most jarring element was the grand economic announcement: the promise of a tomato processing plant. In a country where over half the territory remains under terrorist control, the focus on locally made tomato paste was seen as poorly judged symbolism.
Furthermore, Traoré sought to find a scapegoat for domestic failures, accusing neighbouring Ivory Coast of serving as “the rear base of Burkina’s enemies” and even suggesting President Alassane Ouattara had signed a “non-aggression pact” with jihadists. When confronted with positive poll results from Ivorians regarding his leadership, Traoré simply shrugged, stating: “Really? I don’t follow that… I don’t watch those media outlets anymore.”
Three years on, the score remains damning: Burkina Faso continues to grapple with extreme insecurity, millions displaced, and a withdrawal from ECOWAS that has deepened the nation’s isolation. Traoré’s reign, despite the fiery speeches, is increasingly judged as a “show more than a solution.”