A plot to kill Burkina Faso's military leader, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, has been thwarted, the West African nation has announced.
The sophisticated plan had been hatched by Lt Col Paul Henri Damiba, the military officer ousted by Traoré in September 2022, the security minister said in a late-night broadcast.
"Our intelligence services intercepted this operation in the final hours. They had planned to assassinate the head of state and then strike other key institutions, including civilian personalities," said Mahamadou Sana, further alleging that the plot had been funded from neighbouring Ivory Coast.
There has been no comment from either Col Damiba or Ivory Coast.
Since seizing power, Capt Traoré has faced at least two coup attempts and is also grappling with growing jihadist violence that has forced millions from their homes.
Despite these challenges and his authoritarian reputation, the 37-year-old military leader maintains strong popular support and has gained a following across the continent for his pan-Africanist vision and criticism of Western influence.
BBC