Jesper Bjarnesen discussed the rule of Captain Ibrahim Traoré
May 13, 2025
At just 35 years old, Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in 2022 amid widespread discontent and rising jihadist violence. Since then, he’s rejected Western influence, nationalised key resources, and embraced a fiery pan-African rhetoric that has won him a legion of fans, particularly among Africa’s youth. But behind the viral images and online praise, there are also serious questions about media freedom, human rights abuses, and the future of democracy in Burkina Faso.
To help us unpack what’s really going on in the country and whether the Traoré phenomenon is more than just populist appeal, Jesper Bjarnesen, a senior researcher and West Africa specialist at the Nordic Africa Institute joins us. He’s been closely following developments in the region and is here to help us make sense of the facts behind the headlines.
