Burkina Faso foils coup plot

The military government in the West African country of Burkina Faso has announced that it has foiled a coup plot and opened an investigation to find the masterminds.

Burkina Faso's security and intelligence services foiled a coup attempt on September 26, the Burkina Faso military government said in a televised announcement on September 27.

Authorities have arrested four suspects in connection with the plot and two others have fled. They said the plotters "wanted to attack the republic, to throw the country into chaos" and that Burkina Faso "will shed as much light as possible on this plot".

"It is unfortunate that officers who have sworn to protect the country have gone astray," the statement added.

Burkina Faso military government leader Ibrahim Traore in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 30. Photo: AFP — Burkina Faso military government leader Ibrahim Traore in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 30. Photo: *AFP*

Burkina Faso is a former French colony in Africa. The sub-Saharan nation is also one of five countries where France has deployed troops to support local forces in the fight against Islamist militants.

Burkina Faso's military leader Ibrahim Traore took power on September 30, 2022, following the West African nation's second coup in eight months. The two coups were partly motivated by frustration over the failure to respond to the rise of radical Islamist militants in the region.

France recalled its ambassador to Ouagadougou after the September 2022 coup and has not appointed a replacement. French troops withdrew from Burkina Faso in January.

Burkina Faso covers more than 270,000 square kilometers and has a population of more than 22 million. It borders Mali and Niger, two countries that have also experienced coups. On September 16, the three countries signed a mutual defense agreement, pledging to support each other if one of them is attacked. All three countries were once members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), but have since been suspended from the bloc.