‎Captain Ibrahim Traore’s Russia visit: A diplomatic coup with global implications

‎By Caleb Ohaeri
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‎The 37-year-old president of Burkina Faso has gained widespread popularity since taking over power via a military coup d’etat in 2022. We dive into his Modus operandi and how he is making power moves and alliances.

The youngest president was widely regarded all over the world as a prolific Pan-Africanist due to his firm anti-Neocolonialism and anti-imperial stance following in the footpath of the late infamous Burkina Faso’s leader Thomas Sankara. 
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‎The president after taking over power has enforced multiple reforms in major sectors of the country’s policies in a bid to transform Burkina Faso from a colonial satellite enclave of France into an African powerhouse and force to reckon with on the global stage. In a sad and baffling turn of events, the president is said to have survived about 18 assassination attempts on his life in the past 3 years, surprisingly the president has not come out openly to mention those responsible for it or point accusing fingers.
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‎In a recent accusation ploy by the US AFRICOM Gen Langley against President Ibrahim of utilising the country’s natural resources in a bid to enrich himself and maintain his grip on power had a surprising turn of events with most Africans including other famous African pan Africanists rallying behind the young leader in defiance and solidarity signaling to the US to back off on their agenda with some even stating that an attack on Traore is an attack on all Africans.
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‎On May 7th the Kremlin of Russia announced that Captain Traore would be among the foreign guests who would be attending the 80th Victory Parade in Moscow. On May 9th, the world experienced something unlikely and never seen before, Captain Traore arrived in Moscow On the official Presidential Plane of the Kremlin escorted by four Su-35 fighter jets, the world watched closely as the African president was accorded a significant reception while on his trip to Russia. During the parade, the Captain was caught on video standing behind President Putin and Xi Jinping of China while laying wraith at the tomb of the fallen soldiers of the great patriotic wars. The president met with other world leaders and even had a closed-door meeting with Russian President Putin. The next day May 10, President Traore in the special convoy and security detail of the Russian President Putin also visited a Russian University in a meet and greet event with some citizens of Burkina Faso and other African nationals schooling in the same institution.
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‎Critics call him authoritarian. Supporters call him a liberator but what’s clear is this, Ibrahim Traoré is part of a broader wave of African leaders rejecting neocolonial structures and demanding dignity on their terms. The young president formed a Tripathy alliance with other Sahel states Niger and Mali. Forging new alliances with Russia, and China. We can only watch how the president places his country on the world map as a new multipolar world order emerges.