Hands Off Traoré!” Black Britons Rally for Burkina Faso’s Sovereignty

Chants of “Hands off Ibrahim Traoré!” rang through the streets of London on Thursday, as thousands of Black Britons gathered outside the US Embassy in Vauxhall. The protest formed part of a global solidarity movement backing Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and denouncing foreign meddling in West Africa’s sovereignty.

From Accra to Ouagadougou, and now in the heart of London, the message is loud and clear: Africa is standing up to neocolonialism.

The demonstration followed news that Burkina Faso’s military thwarted yet another coup attempt—its 20th since Traoré assumed office. The government says the plot aimed to destabilise the country and derail its independent course. But protesters and observers suspect deeper forces at play.

Coup Plot and Western Accusations

Only days before the alleged coup attempt on April 21, US AFRICOM Commander General Michael Langley accused Traoré of “misusing gold reserves for personal protection” while testifying before the US Senate. Shortly after, Langley visited Côte d’Ivoire—a known refuge for ousted Burkinabè leaders including Blaise Compaoré, the man linked to the 1987 assassination of revolutionary icon Thomas Sankara.

Protesters saw the timing as far from coincidental.

“This is regime change in real time,” said one protester. “We’ve seen this before—demonise a leader, then justify intervention. Gaddafi, Sankara, Lumumba—the playbook hasn’t changed.”

Rising Anger and Growing Resistance

Another protester criticised the alleged hypocrisy of Western military aid in the region: “They say they’re fighting terrorism, but insecurity has only worsened after millions in AFRICOM funding. Meanwhile, Traoré is making real changes—local resource processing, growing GDP, empowering farmers.”

The demonstrators drew parallels with past efforts to discredit African leaders who sought to use national resources for the benefit of their people. For many, Traoré represents a continuation of Pan-African resistance to exploitation.

Protest signs read: “No to Neocolonialism,” “Africa’s Resources for Africans,” and “France and the US Out of the Sahel.”

A Call to Unity

The protest served as both a condemnation and a call to action. Speakers urged Black Britons and the global African diaspora to stand with the Alliance of Sahel States—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—who have expelled French troops and are pushing for regional self-reliance.

“Traoré’s fight is our fight,” a speaker told the crowd. “Africa’s future is non-negotiable. If we stay silent now, we betray our history and our people.”

As chants of “Hands off Africa!” echoed into the evening, the protest reaffirmed a rising global movement: one that demands sovereignty, unity, and dignity for Africa—on African terms.