Ibrahim Traoré

Ibrahim Traoré (French: [ibʁaim tʁaɔʁe]; born 14 March 1988) is a Burkinabè military officer and politician who has served as the interim President of Burkina Faso since 2022. Ideologically prominent for his nationalist, pan-Africanist, anti-Western politics, and anti-imperialist views as well as his charismatic leadership and appeal to young people, Traoré has also served as the second leader of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration, the ruling military junta in Burkina Faso, since January 2022. Born in Kéra, located in western Burkina Faso, Traoré graduated from the University of Ouagadougou in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in science and geology. Following his graduation from university, he joined the Burkina Faso Armed Forces and received military training abroad, reportedly in Morocco and France. Traoré gained experience fighting terrorism during the country's jihadist insurgency. In 2019, he was deployed to Mali with the United Nations peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA). In September 2022, Traoré led a coup against then-Interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and successfully ousted him. At the age of 34, Traoré became the country's youngest head of state, surpassing Thomas Sankara and Blaise Compaoré, and also became the world's youngest head of state. During his tenure, Traoré has increasingly distanced Burkina Faso from France and ECOWAS, particularly by kicking out their troops, and has also increasingly aligned Burkina Faso with Russia, Turkey, China, as well as Mali and Niger. Traoré has also played a major role in the founding of the Alliance of Sahel States, an alliance consisting of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Under Traoré's leadership, there has been a crackdown on freedom of the press and political opposition, including the unlawful conscription of critics, journalists, activists, prosecutors and judges.