‘THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY, THIS IS A REVOLUTION!’

President Ibrahim Traoré has warned against attempts by foreign forces and their agents to put a stop to Burkina Faso’s popular and progressive revolution. In this clip, he again draws attention to an alleged plot to do just that - being organised from neighbouring Ivory Coast (referred to by him here as ‘Lagoon side’ after Ébrié Lagoon). He says their plan is to make his country go again through ‘the events of ‘87’ - which saw the assassination of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, to whom Traoré has often been compared.

Traoré also muses on the concept of democracy. He is adamant that, in the true sense of the word, it is currently inapplicable. A popular and progressive revolution such as the one he is leading right now needs to be completed first.

Since coming to power in a coup in 2022, Traoré has worked to transform the country, pushing it towards greater food sovereignty, industrialisation and overall self-determination. His international critics denounce the revolutionary process as undemocratic. These outlets and institutions focus on Traoré's military background and decry what they deem backward 'military rule.’

Today, the definition of democracy has become so warped that it is taken to mean simply voting in an election every 4-5 years. Little does it matter if the people have any real say in policy or are engaged in any political activities between election cycles. In a country such as the United States, thousands of people fight tirelessly against their government's warmongering, from the Iraq invasion in 2013 to the support for Israel and its ongoing destruction of Palestinian Territories. These citizens plead and beg for universal healthcare, but all demands fall on deaf ears. We are made to believe that this is democracy because there was a vote, irrespective of how limited the options are.