TRINIDAD & TOBAGO FOR TRAORÉ!

The show of solidarity that was on display recently around the world for Burkina Faso’s president was a powerful moment for pan-Africans.

Revolutionary leader Ibrahim Traoré appears to be in the West’s sights. Allegations coming out of Washington and another failed coup attempt in April created a sense of urgency. People gathered in Accra and in London and beyond to send a message to any would-be imperialist interventionists: hands off Traoré!

During a US Senate hearing, Michael Langley, the Pentagon's top commander for the Africa region, had accused Traoré of using national gold reserves to pay for private security. The allegation of corruption was apparently intended to tarnish the leader’s reputation as a man dedicated to improving the lives of his people. Worse, many saw it as the start of an opinion-shaping propaganda campaign ahead of possible US action.

Many have compared Traoré to Burkina Faso’s equally revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara (1949-1987). He was assassinated during a Western-backed power grab in 1987. Africans do not want a similar fate to befall Traoré.

Activists in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago joined the global show of solidarity. They gathered at the Kwame Ture Education and Development Centre in the capital, Port of Spain. They held banners with messages of support for Traoré and the Burkinabe people. In this clip, one of the speakers at the event delivers a powerful message about what African unity can achieve.