WeeklySA_AdminSOLIDARITY: Recent aggression against the Sahel countries saw thousands across Africa rally in solidarity with Burkina Faso and Captain Ibrahim Traoré, denouncing foreign interference and imperialist destabilisation…
By Nicholas Mwangi
Thousands of Africans across the continent rallied on Wednesday under the unified call of “Hands Off the AES!” to express their solidarity with Burkina Faso and its revolutionary leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Demonstrations were held in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Liberia, led by grassroots organisations and people’s movements. Protesters strongly condemned foreign interference and affirmed their support for the country’s resistance against imperialist destabilisation.
This continental wave of solidarity follows recent revelations by Burkina Faso’s military authorities that they had foiled a major coup attempt on April 21. The government described the plot as an effort to “sow total chaos” and reverse the country’s sovereign and revolutionary path under Traoré’s leadership.
“Under Captain Traoré, Burkina Faso has become a symbol of African dignity and resistance,” said the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) which co-organised the solidarity protest in Ghana.
“We stand with the people of Burkina Faso who are fighting to reclaim their wealth and future from the clutches of neo-colonialism.”
In Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, hundreds gathered in Nation Square waving Burkinabe flags in solidarity with their leader. The SMG’s statement, strongly condemned what it called “acts of destabilisation and assassination that reactionary forces have perpetuated” and global powers attempting to return Burkina Faso and other Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries “to the humiliating control of France, the US and their NATO allies.”
The AES, a newly formed regional alliance between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger has emerged as a symbol of West African resistance against neo-colonialism. The alliance was formed after all three nations expelled French troops and ended military cooperation with former colonial powers.
Adding fuel to the regional tension was the controversial statement by the US AFRICOM Commander General Michael Langley before the US Senate on April 3. Langley accused Captain Traoré of misusing the country’s gold reserves for personal protection. The general’s claims, paired with his recent visit to Côte d’Ivoire, an AES neighbour accused of sheltering coup plotters, have sparked outrage. Blaise Compaoré, the man widely condemned for betraying and orchestrating the assassination of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara in 1987, continues to live in exile in Côte d’Ivoire under the protection of the Ivorian government.
“Langley demonising Captain Traoré is a clear case of ‘give the dog a bad name and hang it,’” SMG said, comparing the current smear campaign to past Western tactics used to justify regime change in countries like Libya, Iraq, and even Ghana.
The statement also linked the current destabilisation efforts to a long history of Western attacks on independent African leaders: “Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Amílcar Cabral, Thomas Sankara…Their only crime was to insist that their countries’ natural resources serve their people,” it read.
Under Traoré, Burkina Faso has expelled French military forces, terminated exploitative agreements, rejected the CFA Franc, and redirected national wealth to grassroots development, including education, healthcare, and food security – all while facing illegal sanctions and external pressure.
The SMG called on all Pan-Africanists and progressive forces to:
• Condemn the coup attempt and foreign interference;
• Organize anti-imperialist demonstrations;
• Demand accountability from Côte d’Ivoire for hosting alleged coup plotters; and
• Urge the African Union and ECOWAS to defend Burkina Faso’s sovereignty.
In Italy, diaspora groups are mobilising against the European media distortion of decolonisation processes in the Alliance of Sahel States.
In Europe, accurate information about the recent progress made by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) remains largely inaccessible. When it does appear, it is often distorted. A growing movement within the diaspora communities of these countries is working to unmask what they are terming a “colonial and imperialist agenda” behind such mainstream narratives. In Italy, this effort was brought into focus on April 13, when Naples hosted a demonstration organized by the Patriotic Movement of the AES Diaspora (Le Mouvement Patriotique de la Diaspora de l’AES).
Bouyagui Konate, the group’s secretary, says that European media misrepresentation of AES governments has caused significant harm to public perception and threatened to undermine the broader struggle against neo-colonialism. “Media outlets keep spreading misinformation, such as AES states hiring mercenaries or working for Russian interests. That’s simply not the reality,” Konate explains.
He argues that European coverage, particularly from French outlets, presents a biased version of events that avoids acknowledging the role of European powers in the region’s socioeconomic and security crises. Many of these outlets could easily be described as instruments of colonial control. “Ten years ago, if something was broadcast on France24, it was accepted without question across West Africa. No one bothered to dig deeper,” says Konate.
That dynamic is changing, but not without obstacles. Outlets like France24 and Radio France Internationale still shape reports in a way to protect French interests in the region.
For example, Konate notes that French media coverage of Chad is far more favourable than that of the AES countries. He explains this is because France is regrouping elsewhere as it tries to delegitimise the AES, a direct threat to its colonial agenda.
The conditions in the Sahel, Konate insists, have been exacerbated by the presence of numerous Western military forces.
He points out that, while these forces nominally pledged to fight terrorism, they refused to provide the support to local authorities to build independent institutions and determine their own path. “Despite all their talk of counterterrorism, European countries refused to sell weapons to AES states,” he says. “Why? Because their real priorities lie elsewhere. Supporting genuine liberation in the Sahel doesn’t serve imperialist interests, we can see that clearly from history.” At the moment, the immediate priority is to ensure people in Europe have access to accurate and truthful information about what’s happening in the Sahel, Konate concludes.
On Monday, the evening of April 21, Burkina Faso’s military authorities announced that they had dismantled a “major plot” aimed at promoting a coup and “sowing total chaos” in the West African country.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, who stated that the leaders of the coup attempt are allegedly based in Côte d’Ivoire, whose government under President Alassane Ouattara is allied with France’s interests in the region.
According to the minister, the plan of the “terrorists” would be carried out on April 16, 2025, through an assault on Burkina Faso’s presidency by soldiers recruited by the “enemies of the nation.” The assault was planned to take place simultaneously with other large-scale terrorist attacks.
What is unfolding in the Sahel today represents a growing wind of change sweeping across Africa. This rising tide of defiance is an affirmation of African agency, pride, and the right to build systems that reflect the values, histories, and aspirations of its people. – Additional reporting by Ana Vračar/People’s Despatch
