Security Minister Mahamoudou Sana announced on national television that intelligence services thwarted a sophisticated “destabilisation attempt” planned for the new year.
Deposed junta leader Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was named in the plot which was to be carried out on January 3, 2026.
The plot allegedly aimed to assassinate President Ibrahim Traoré at his residence and disable the country’s strategic drone base to facilitate a foreign-backed ground invasion.
Authorities have identified Lieutenant Colonel Damiba—the man Traoré ousted in September 2022—as the mastermind behind the operation.
Currently living in exile in Togo, Damiba is accused of coordinating recruitment, raising funds, and planning the tactical execution of the coup.
Minister Sana further alleged that a significant portion of the funding, including a recent installment of 70 million CFA francs, originated from Côte d’Ivoire.
The government reported that several individuals have already been detained, including civilians who were reportedly “naively” used as couriers or lookouts.
The Ministry of Security plans to release confession videos to the media shortly.
This latest incident follows a series of similar accusations against Damiba, who was officially stripped of his military rank in late 2024 for “collusion with foreign powers and terrorists.”
Minister Sana praised the professionalism of the Burkinabe intelligence services and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP).
While assuring the Burkinabe public that the situation is firmly under control, he urged citizens to maintain “increased vigilance” as the investigation continues and the legal process against the conspirators begins.
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