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Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré — one of the world’s youngest heads of state — is having a moment.
Known at once as the “Prince of the Sahel” and a “dashing poster boy for military rule,” the 37-year-old’s popularity has seemingly surged since he seized power in a 2022 coup: He received the loudest applause of all 21 African heads of state at the Ghanaian president’s inauguration in January, the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies noted. And on Wednesday the junta leader drew thousands of supporters in Ouagadougou following an alleged overthrow attempt as well as criticism from a US official. “Long live Captain Traore!” they chanted.
Traoré is particularly popular on social media, making waves as far as the Caribbean. “Africa’s Youngest Lion… Defies death, defeats coup plots, and rewrites history,” crooned a headline on the Times Caribbean last week.
But the former UN peacekeeper may not be as popular among ordinary citizens as he is commonly portrayed, [claims] a researcher in The Conversation. “This is inferred from the violent repression of critics, multiple alleged coup attempts as well as the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis,” Daniel Eizenga said.
