Following a worldwide outpouring of support for Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader, thousands of people gathered outside the US Embassy in Vauxhall on Thursday, sending chants of “Hands off Ibrahim Traoré!” reverberating through the streets of London.
From Liberia to the centre of Britain, from Ouagadougou to Accra, a bold message was unmistakable: Africa opposes colonial meddling. The demonstrations were a revolt against the neocolonial hold that has stifled the Sahel for decades, not just about one man, The Voice reports.
Signs against neo-colonial meddling were carried by protesters walking in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Namibia, Somalia, Kenya, Jamaica, Ghana, Great Britain, and France, among other nations.
Burkina Faso is fighting a “war of independence,” not only a war against terrorism, according to Traoré, who is widely regarded as a revolutionary leader and the emblem of a new Pan-African period. Speaking at the opening of a cement facility in Ziniaré, he criticised what he described as “imperialist logic” and urged people to support the cause of national sovereignty.
AFRICOM Commander Michael Langley’s divisive remarks at a recent Senate hearing served as one of the catalysts for the protests. Many people denounced Langley’s comments regarding Burkina Faso’s government as being deceptive and contemptuous. Since then, the criticism has contributed to a global upsurge of support for Traoré and his anti-imperialist agenda.
The Confederation of Sahel States (CSS), a new regional alliance made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, shares Traoré’s vision for national sovereignty as their primary goal. He has said that the CSS is open to any African countries that are dedicated to independence, sovereignty, and complete freedom from foreign rule, even if they are leaving ECOWAS.
Recall that the military of Burkina Faso stopped another coup attempt on April 21. This was the 20th attempt against Captain Traoré since he came to power. It was described by the administration as an attempt to “sow chaos” and undo the country’s independent course.
A coordinated attack by foreign powers fearful of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which consists of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger and whose departure of French forces caused a seismic shift in West Africa, is what observers see to be an even darker pattern.
