In 2009, with a degree in hand and a burning desire to serve his country, Traoré joined the Burkinabè army. This decision wasn’t driven by the desire for glory or personal gain; rather, it stemmed from a profound sense of duty. He believed that through military service, he could contribute to something greater than himself, and protect the country that had given him so much.
The army offered Traoré a new education steeped in discipline, sacrifice, and leadership. He trained at Académie militaire Georges Namoano (Georges-Namoano Military Academy) in Pô, a city located in Southern Burkina Faso. After completing his training, he was deployed to Kaya in northern Burkina Faso, a region that later suffered greatly from the jihadist insurgency. At this time, the country was still under the iron grip of Blaise Compaoré, the man who had overseen the assassination of Thomas Sankara – a betrayal that had haunted Burkina Faso for decades. Traoré was just one more soldier, indistinguishable in a sea of khaki and boots. He was a lowly recruit, standing at the bottom rung of the military hierarchy, his uniform crisp but his rank barely noticeable.
But his fellow soldiers at the time already sensed his authoritative presence. He towered over six feet, with an intensity in his eyes that hinted at something beyond the ordinary. His posture was straight, his steps measured – traits that didn’t go unnoticed by his superiors. There was something about him, something more than the sharp creases in his uniform or the precision with which he performed his drills. His intellect was as sharp as his discipline, and it wasn’t long before the higher-ups decided to test him. Morocco was the next stop, a place where he’d be trained in anti-aircraft warfare. A lesson in how to knock things out of the sky before they could destroy what lay beneath.
