In Burkina Faso, a series of arrests involving military officers has been reported, with two of them being dismissed from their positions as battalion commanders.
The details surrounding these arrests have yet to be officially communicated, though various supporters of the ruling junta have suggested the possibility of a coup attempt, allegedly involving exiled military personnel. These events have raised suspicions, with some analysts pointing to tensions within the ranks of the armed forces.
Among those detained was Commander Frédéric Ouédraogo, a former head of the Military Justice Battalion, who was reportedly investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of Commander Ismaël Touhogobou in October 2023. Touhogobou had been suspected of involvement in an alleged coup attempt, and the military prosecutor had previously claimed that the arrest had gone awry.
Additionally, Captain Elysée Tassembedo, known as “the liberator of Sebba” and commander of the northern security forces in Ouahigouya, was apprehended while attending a meeting at the Army headquarters in Ouagadougou, though the details of the discussions remain unclear.
Several senior military officials have already been replaced by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the interim president, though the exact number of those arrested remains uncertain. Supporters of the current military government have speculated that the unrest could be linked to yet another coup attempt. Attention has been drawn to former officers, who were previously dismissed from the military, and sources within the security services have indicated that the atmosphere within the Burkinabe armed forces is currently tense.