On January 7, 2026, Burkina Faso announced that a plot to kill its military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has been thwarted. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced that the assassination attempt, planned for January 3, 2026, aimed to “neutralise” President Traoré at close range or by bombing his residence.
The plot also involved targeting other senior junta officials and disabling a key drone launch base to prevent a military response before foreign forces could intervene. Authorities alleged the plot was funded with $125,000 (70 million CFA francs) originating from Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast has denied these allegations. The government claimed to have intercepted communications and discovered a video showing the conspirators discussing their plans.
Former leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba arrested
Following the discovery of the plot, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was arrested in Togo and extradited to Burkina Faso on January 17, 2026.
He faces a range of serious charges including masterminding the assassination attempt and attempting to destabilise the state (high treason and plotting); criminal embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, corruption, and money laundering (financial crimes); and involvement in previous coups and the August 2024 Barsalogho massacre (historical allegations).
Togo extradition deal secured death penalty exemption
The Togolese Justice Ministry and the Lomé Court of Appeal approved the extradition only after securing several critical guarantees from the Burkinabé authorities.
Despite Burkina Faso recently reinstating the death penalty for crimes of high treason in December 2025, the junta officially promised that Damiba would not face execution (exemption from the death penalty).
Burkina Faso committed to ensuring Damiba’s physical safety and treating him with dignity while in custody. The agreement includes a formal guarantee of due process and a fair trial for all charges leveled against him. The deal was partly based on an “offer of reciprocity” between the two nations’ judicial systems.
Power struggle
Damiba originally seized power in a January 2022 coup but was himself overthrown by Traoré just eight months later in September 2022. Since taking office, Traoré has reportedly survived nearly 20 assassination or coup attempts while shifting the country’s alliances away from Western powers toward Russia.
