Gambiaj.com – (OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso) – Scheduled for Wednesday, June 19, the weekly Council of Ministers did not take place. Typically chaired by Captain Traoré, the session’s cancellation or postponement has not been officially explained, though sources suggest it may occur on Thursday. This unusual silence and invisibility from Traoré have fueled further questions regarding the leadership’s stability.
In a significant development, approximately 120 Malian soldiers and Wagner’s Russian auxiliaries have arrived in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, over recent days. This move comes amidst heightened confusion and unrest following a brutal attack in Mansila on June 11.
The presence of Malian and Wagner reinforcements raises questions about their role and whether they aim to ensure Traoré’s hold on power or to “rectify the transition,” akin to the second military coup in Mali in May 2021.
The Mansila attack, orchestrated by jihadists from the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM), linked to al-Qaeda, resulted in the death of over a hundred Burkinabè soldiers, with some being taken hostage. Despite the severity of this incident, the Burkinabè transitional authorities have remained silent, leading to growing discontent within segments of the military.
The aftermath of the attack has seen further instability. Last Wednesday, a shell was mysteriously fired at the national television headquarters, the origin of which remains unknown. Meanwhile, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the transitional president, made a brief and silent appearance on Sunday during Tabaski, intensifying speculation about his status.
Amidst these uncertainties, the Burkinabè army issued a statement on June 18, attempting to quell rumors of “swings of temper and mutinies in certain barracks,” deeming them “unfounded and misleading.”
Adding to the intrigue, a report from Le Monde cites “concordant sources” claiming that Captain Traoré is currently “in hiding” and that discussions among soldiers are ongoing to determine the regime’s future.
As Burkina Faso grapples with these developments, the coming days will be crucial in understanding the trajectory of its political and military landscape.
TV5 Monde Afrique Suspended Amid Rising Tensions
In a sign of mounting tension, the Burkinabè military authorities have suspended the television channel TV5 Monde Afrique for six months. This decision, made by the Superior Council of Communication (CSC), follows similar actions taken against other foreign media outlets, including RFI.
The CSC criticized the French-speaking channel for what it described as “malicious insinuations, tendentious remarks bordering on disinformation, and assertions likely to minimize the efforts made by the authorities of the Transition, the Defense and Security Forces, and the populations in the momentum of reconquest of the national territory.”
The suspension was announced in a press release, which was notably picked up by the site Lefaso.net. The CSC specifically called into question an edition of the television news broadcast on Monday. The program featured Newton Ahmed Barry, a journalist and former president of the electoral commission of Burkina Faso (2014-2021), who has been openly critical of the current military regime.
