In a televised address, Minister of Security Mahamadou Sana detailed the intricate plan orchestrated by Burkinabe citizens residing in neighbouring countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The plot involved a coalition of civilians, military personnel, and former military officials, allegedly supported by Western intelligence agencies.
Among the individuals implicated were former leader Paul-Henri Damiba, ousted in September 2022, and several other prominent figures, including former ministers, journalists, and a former MP.
The plot also involved civil society actors and economic operators.
The minister revealed that several arrests had been made in Niger, leading to the dismantling of a significant portion of the plot.
The detainees provided crucial information about the group’s plans, which included contracting with terrorist groups and carrying out violent attacks on civilians and government institutions.
The recent massacre in Barsalogho, where nearly 300 individuals were killed, was reportedly part of this plot. The conspirators had planned to target the presidential palace, a drone site, the Ouagadougou airport, and military positions in Mangodara.
The government has launched a special anti-terrorist operation to neutralize any remaining threats and has warned that such destabilising actions will no longer be tolerated.
The authorities have urged families of the plotters to denounce them and distance themselves from their subversive activities.
DS/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA