Burkina Faso – President Ibrahim Traoré has, for the first time, publicly addressed multiple assassination attempts made against him, revealing that he has survived over 10 different plots aimed at taking his life.
“I’ve survived more than 10 assassination attempts, but I don’t go around talking about it,” he said. “I don’t want to motivate my enemies or have some people think I’m promoting myself.”
President Traoré shared this during a national development forum under the theme “Make Burkina Faso a Donor Country.” His message focused on Africa’s struggle against modern-day neo-colonialism and the role of Western powers in undermining African sovereignty.
He drew attention to how the West often sends what he called “decorated fools” as diplomats, agency heads, and political figures to Africa.
“The West sends us their fools, disguised in suits and titles. But when it comes to us Africans, we are made to believe we are some sort of philosophers from another world,” he remarked sharply.
He warned that if Africans continue to protect foreign fools before empowering their own people, the continent will keep losing its finest minds, as has been the case for decades.
“Their aim isn’t just to kill me—they want to kill the hope and ambition of Burkina Faso,” Traoré stated.
He went on to say that Western powers fear an Africa that stands up for itself, and that their approach to global affairs is rooted in arrogance and dominance.
“To them, there are no real terrorists—except anyone who dares to challenge their global dominance,” he said.
“They want to live alone. Anyone else with dreams or strength is labeled a threat.”
President Traoré emphasized Burkina Faso’s commitment to self-reliance, economic freedom, and ending all ties to what he described as “modern slavery through aid.”
“We won’t travel to beg those who are no better than us. We’ll invest our time in marketing our resources with dignity. Burkina Faso is a rich land, but it needs strong, wise men to lead it,” he said.
Traoré announced that within a year, four major national projects in agriculture and infrastructure will be launched, expected to create over 6,000 jobs.
“We must reward our people who fought against oppression. We must believe in their dreams and focus on removing the poverty imposed by colonialism,” he concluded.
The message was clear: Burkina Faso is no longer interested in dependency—it wants to rise and lead as a self-sufficient, powerful African nation.
(Source: RTB – Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina)