Support Traore’s Vision: Why Africans Must Back Sahel Alliance
The recent remarks by U.S. AFRICOM Commander, General Michael Langley, targeting Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traore, reflect deeper frustrations over the West’s diminishing influence in the Sahel region. Labeling Traore a threat to his people and accusing him of mismanaging national resources, Langley’s statements reveal anxiety over a revolutionary shift led by the Alliance of Sahel States.
Captain Traore’s bold efforts to break free from French economic and military dominance have repositioned Burkina Faso on a path toward genuine self-determination. His government is reclaiming control of natural resources and investing heavily in agriculture and industrialization—policies that challenge the global status quo.
Under Traore’s leadership, Burkina Faso is advancing a model of national sovereignty and people-centered governance that resonates across Africa and the diaspora. His popularity and principles have rattled imperialist interests, who fear the ripple effect if other African nations follow suit.
General Langley’s testimony before the U.S. Senate laid bare the true motive behind the U.S. military’s presence in Africa: to protect American access to critical minerals and curb the influence of geopolitical rivals, Russia and China. Ironically, these very nations have a history of supporting African liberation movements, unlike the U.S. and its allies who once backed colonial regimes and apartheid.
As history shows—from Nkrumah and Lumumba to Sankara and Gaddafi—patriotic African leaders who resist Western control often face sabotage or worse. Traore now stands in that legacy of resistance.
Africa must reject the narrative imposed by external powers and determine its alliances based on its own interests. The unfolding revolution in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel alliance offers hope for a new African path, free from neocolonial shackles.
