Ibrahim Traore – The Most Polarising African Leader of the Decade

Captain Ibrahim Traoré gives commemoration speech on the 65th anniversary of Burkina Faso's independence. Photo: X

When people think of African politics, they quite often (very unfairly) picture corruption, military dictatorship and power struggles. Investment in public services, boosting geopolitical importance and economic growth rarely come to mind, yet Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, has managed to achieve all three. Traore took power in 2022, and despite being the youngest head of state in the world at the time, has already created an undeniably memorable legacy; however, popular opinion on him seems to be split down the middle.

Why Do People Like Traore

Traore’s pan-African messaging and willingness to question the West has won him a lot of support amongst African citizens across the continent. He was quick to abandon ties with France when he took power in favour of an alliance with Russia and has spoken in favour of African countries utilising their natural resources for their own gain. Traore has set up a nationalised mining company and has demanded that foreign firms give the nationalised company a 15% stake in their business, while transferring skills to the Burkinabé population. Traore has also taken advantage of social media to build his public image, making frequent callbacks to popular former Prime Minister Thomas Sankara and showing humility by only taking home a military Captain’s salary and cutting ministerial salaries. In short, people like his willingness to put Burkina Faso first and over the West, alongside his image as a man of the people.

Why Do People Dislike Traore

Many Western sources believe Traore to be no different from other dictators who have been at the forefront of African politics for so many years. Traore has pushed back on his promise to hold democratic elections in 2024, saying it would be a poor decision to hold elections while the government is trying to defeat an insurgency. He has also sent various critics, including medics and magistrates, to the front lines of the aforementioned insurgency. Civilian deaths have also gone up since he took power, and many believe that by aligning with Russia, he has simply traded allegiances with one foreign power for another. Finally, Traore has received criticism for placing himself front and centre in Burkinabé politics, creating a cult of personality to satisfy his own ego, according to his critics.

At 37, Traore is still one of the youngest leaders on the planet and, barring an assassination, seems as though he will be in power for many years to come. He has undeniably set himself apart from other African leaders by taking such a bold approach to politics, and the world will watch with anticipation to see whether his tactics pay off in the long run.