Thousands rally behind Traore in Burkina Faso capital

Several thousand people rallied in support of Burkina Faso's ruling junta on Wednesday, days after the military authorities said they had uncovered a "plot" to overthrow the government.

Demonstrators gathered at a central square in the capital Ouagadougou carrying giant posters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and Burkinabe and Russian flags.

They also held placards bearing slogans such as: "Down with imperialism and its local lackeys" and: "Full support for President Ibrahim Traore and the people of Burkina Faso."

On April 21, the West African country's junta claimed to have undone a "major plot" planned by masterminds in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire, with the arrests of several top army officials.

'Unwavering solidarity'

Traore, who took power in a coup in September 2022, has regularly accused Côte d'Ivoire of harbouring his opponents, allegations its neighbour rejects.

The National Coordination of the Civilian Vigil (CNAVC), a coalition of pro-junta civil society groups, called the demonstration.

"We, peoples who love justice and sovereignty, affirm our unwavering solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Burkinabe people for their emancipation," a CNAVC spokesman said.

Like its neighbours Niger and Mali, Burkina Faso under Traore has turned away from its former colonial master France and moved closer to Russia.

Formed own confederation

All three of those Sahel states have been battling violence by insurgents linked for a decade.

The three junta-led countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the beginning of the year, accusing the regional bloc of being subservient to France, and have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), originally set up as a defence pact in 2023 but which now seeks closer integration.