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Ar Ibrahim Traoré – The Soldier Who Fought Using His Mind
Part 2 of this gripping seven-part series explores how a 23-year old Ibrahim Traoré, navigated the protests against then President Blaise Compaoré’s 24-year rule. The unrest and his growing dissatisfaction with inequality would fuel the fire within Traoré, setting the stage for his future rise as a revolutionary leader.
April 30 2011. The lyrics of Tiken Jah Fakoly’s reggae song ‘Quitte le pouvoir’ reverberated through Ibrahim Traoré, each word a sharp reminder of the mounting tension in his country. He was only 23, his military boots still fresh from the dust of training, with just two years of service under his belt. But, like every Burkinabè, he could feel the nation’s weariness.
The streets murmured with frustration. President Blaise Compaoré had clung to power for 24 relentless years – longer than Traoré had been alive.
“Quitte le pouvoir, quitte le pouvoir!” (Leave power, leave power!), thundered the crowd in Ouagadougou in, their voices rising like a storm in the thick, hot air. This song, by the Ivorian reggae singer, was a crowd favorite during protests.
“Je te dis quitte le pouvoir!” (I tell you, leave power!) Their voices echoed through the streets, each syllable cutting through the haze of burning tires and thick smoke. The collective roar felt like a tidal wave crashing against the walls of the presidency.
When the chanting momentarily hushed, a single voice pierced the tension. It was high-pitched, urgent, slicing through the humid air: “The people are fed up! The soldiers are fed up! The students are fed up! The shopkeepers are fed up!”
The words came from Norbert Tiendrebeogo, an opposition leader from the Social Forces Front Party. His voice rode the charged energy of the crowd, delivering the sentiment that rippled across the streets like a shockwave.
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When 23-year-old Traoré Witnessed Soldiers Revolting against the President
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 in Koudougou burned down several government buildings in response to a crackdown on unpaid rent in the municipal market.
Even the soldiers, Traoré’s brothers-in-arms, had reached their limit. In early April, Ouagadougou’s hot air sweltered with their anger. They torched buildings, shattered glass and shot into the night. They looted and burned the ruling Party’s offices. The metallic smell of burning fuel mixed with the unmistakable scent of scorched earth.
Even members of the elite presidential guard, usually loyal, had joined the violent protests. Their meager wages no longer enough to endure the crushing cost of living. Traoré, a low-ranking officer with little to his name, felt the same desperation. Each time he received his pay, the coins felt lighter, and the struggle heavier. The heat of frustration burned within him, matching the heat of the streets around him.
Click here to read part 1 of this Ibrahim Traore series
2011 Protesters against the 24-year rule of Blaise Compaore
A Hollow Victory for the President
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 allowances – small concessions to quell the fury that had gripped the nation. The promises, though necessary, felt hollow. The protests may have ended, but the tension lingered, thick and unspoken, like the stillness before a storm. The seeds of discontent had been planted, taking root in the minds of both soldiers and civilians alike. A revolution was brewing beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to erupt.
Among those watching the events unfold was a 23-year-old soldier, Ibrahim Traoré, standing on the sidelines of history but absorbing every moment. The distant rumble of protests still echoed in his ears as he pondered the future of the country he loved. The dust from the streets seemed to cling to him, just as the harsh reality of life in Burkina Faso weighed on his thoughts. He believed deeply that every Burkinabè deserved equal access to resources and opportunities, which was a pipe dream in one of the world’s ten poorest nations.
Three-quarters of the population couldn’t read or write, the sounds of their struggles reverberating in the silence that followed the protests. Traoré knew he wasn’t in a position to change things – yet. For now, he remained a disciplined, loyal soldier, waiting for the right moment to step forward, all the while carrying the burden of his country’s future like a weight he couldn’t shake.
Click here to read part 3 of this Ibrahim Traore series
Thomas Sankara's statue in Ouagadougou
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 didn’t know was that deep thoughts flared within his silence. He was always asking why? And why not?
In 2012 and 2013, these thoughts swirled constantly in Traoré's mind during what were relatively uneventful years in Burkina Faso. As a sub-lieutenant, a junior officer, he watched the slow grind of the military machine with patience and resolution. The jihadists had not yet launched their brutal campaigns, so the Burkinabè army wasn’t involved in the deadly clashes that would soon define the region. Pay remained meager, and morale was low.
The stark class divisions that Traoré despised continued to thrive, with the wealthy elite living in comfort while the majority struggled. The inequality gnawed at him, fueling a quiet rage. Unnoticed by the world, a storm was building, not just across Burkina Faso, but deep within Traoré himself. Something was shifting, and though the country remained calm for the moment, he could feel the winds of change gathering force inside him.
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