Africa’s Soil has been kidnapped by Chemicals and Corruption
The recent exposé on counterfeit subsidized fertilizers being sold to Kenyan farmers has has lifted the lid on the pitfalls of fertilizers. However, this disturbing incident represents merely the tip of an iceberg - a symptom of a deeper, more systemic crisis brewing across Africa's agricultural landscapes. For decades, the widespread use of synthetic fertilizers has been touted as a...
Traoré Witnesses the Chronic Shortcomings of the French Forces
Traore was also concerned that the presence of hundreds of French soldiers in the fight against jihadists hadn’t made a difference. A 2018 military accord between France and Burkina Faso had paved the way for France to send its soldiers to assist in the fight against Islamist insurgents affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). In addition, France had a broader...
Traoré Learns of the Atrocious Attack in the Grand Mosque
Just a few weeks later, on a Friday evening, the jihadists committed an atrocious and sacrilegious attack. They stormed the Grand Mosque in the village of Salmossi and killed fifteen worshippers. Fifteen people, executed in their place of worship. The image burned into Traore’s mind. He could almost hear the gunfire that must have shattered the serenity of Friday...
How Burkina Faso’s 2014 Revolution Shaped Ibrahim Traoré
October 30, 2014. Dust and smoke hung like a cloud in Ouagadougou’s hot streets. Burnt shells and tear gas canisters littered the crowded streets. Smoke curled into the sky like distant storm clouds. In the streets below, thousands surged, fueled by a deep desire to dismantle President Blaise Compaoré's nearly three-decade rule. The President wanted a constitutional amendment to...
Wasini Island’s Elusive Search for Freshwater
I first felt Wasini’s thirst in the silence after a boat leaves. The engine coughs, the wake settles, and the channel between Shimoni and the island goes back to looking innocent. Then you notice the colors that tell the truth. Yellow jerrycans flash in the sun like warning lights. Corrugated roofs burn white. The coral ground is the color...
Seeds of revolution taking root in Traoré’s Mind
One year earlier in 2010, a 22-year old Traoré had watched President Compaoré win re-election with over 80 percent of the vote. Although the opposition alleged widespread rigging, the victory stood. Was this also a victory for the 80 percent of the population that relied on subsistence agriculture? Traoré wondered. He was a quiet guy. What his fellow soldiers...
Traoré Experiences People Power in Action
For Traoré, Compaoré’s regime had always been a shadow in his life, looming over his youth. Since 1987, when Compaoré seized power through a coup that left revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara dead, the country had never known another leader. Traoré, then just a child, grew up in a country in Compaoré’s firm grip. The young soldier had never known...
Traoré Witnesses the People Kicking Out Sankara’s Killer
On October 30th as the day progressed, the protests grew more violent. Ouagadougou witnessed a turning point in Burkina Faso’s history. Thousands of citizens overwhelmed the state broadcasters, set the homes of Compaoré's relatives aflame, and marched with a rage that could no longer be silenced. The clattering of tear gas canisters hitting the pavement and the sporadic bursts...
Traoré Observed President Compaoré’s Hollow Victory
President Compaoré, under pressure from the rising unrest, finally relented. He dismissed his government and named Luc Adolphe Tiao, a former journalist and ambassador to France as his new prime minister. He also met with military leaders for a tense two-hour meeting held in the presidential palace. Unsmiling and patronizing, he promised to improve military housing, clothing, and food...
When 23-year-old Traoré Witnessed an Uprising
Police officers joined the rising wave of unrest, firing weapons and tear gas in protest of high prices, low wages, and President Blaise Compaoré’s 24-year rule. Similar protests erupted in other cities across the country, including Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city, where police fired into the air to express their frustration over poor economic conditions. The day before, merchants...
