TRAORÉ SHARES BURKINABÉ VISION WITH SCHOOLKIDS

As world renowned anti-imperialist scholar Michael Parenti said in 1986, ‘The revolution that feeds the children gets my support.’ That seems to be the spirit in Burkina Faso under Captain Ibrahim Traore’s leadership as president. In this clip from a live television appearance, he explains to school children the many ways Burkina Faso is rich, dispelling colonial myths that have painted Africa as a wasteland.

Burkina Faso has been busy over the past year. After the 30 September 2022 coup that created the Transition of Burkina Faso, France's ambassador, its troops and its media outlets were dismissed. Meanwhile, the landlocked Sahelian country has doubled down on efforts to recover its territory. Up to 40 per cent of the country had been in terrorist hands before Traoré took the reigns. He has advocated for the formation of a Sahelian confederation that would include Mali and Niger, with the countless benefits that such an alliance can bring the region. This is unlike the Sahelian Alliance that France helped put together in 2014 and is nicknamed the 'G5.' The good news is Chad and Mauritania, the other two members of the G5, have just announced the Sahel Alliance should be dissolved, as they say it has failed at securing the region against terrorism.

With only one year in office, Traoré has reminded many of his predecessor, Thomas Sankara (1983-87), whose life was unfortunately cut short by a French-backed assassination. This time, Africa hopes the motherland will win. And, with folks like Captain Traoré in power, it is difficult to see why not.