A massive demonstration took place in Ouagadougou on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, as thousands of Burkinabè citizens gathered to express their support for transitional President Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The rally, marked by chants, whistles, and placards, was largely a response to recent comments made by a top U.S. military official that many in the country deemed offensive and misleading.
Earlier in April, General Michaël Langley, head of the United States Africa Command, accused President Traoré of diverting Burkina Faso’s mining wealth for the benefit of the ruling military junta rather than its citizens.
Burkinabè artist Ocibi Joan, who was among the demonstrators, strongly criticized the remarks. “Burkina Faso is not against anyone, but we will no longer tolerate looting. The general is a liar. We own it, we use it whenever we want, and sell it to whomever we want,” he said, referring to the country’s natural resources.
Another protester, Haroun Sawadogo, underscored the people’s readiness to defend their leader at all costs. “If they want to eliminate Captain Traoré, they should eliminate the people first,” he said. “What we experienced in the 1987 [assassination] will not be repeated. What happened to Captain Sankara will not happen to Captain Traoré. We will go all the way to defend our President.”
The protest follows the recent announcement by the military government that it had thwarted an alleged coup attempt. The demonstration also drew significant political presence, including Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, who addressed the crowd with a powerful message of sovereignty and resistance.
He declared, “May the people of Burkina Faso free themselves once and for all, and may the people of the Sahel free themselves permanently,” adding that the time had come to “never again kneel before the world.”
Attendees traveled from various regions across Burkina Faso, making the demonstration the largest public display of loyalty to President Traoré since he came to power following the September 2022 coup.
