By Njodzeka Danhatu
Millions of Africans worldwide, on Wednesday, April 30, poured out on the streets and demonstrated their love and show of solidarity with the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore.
The pro-Traore protest saw Africans expressing their dislike for the West.
They brandished a placard which said, “Hands off Ibrahim Traore” while in other placcards, they call for the unity of Africa.
In the streets of Britain, Canada, the USA, and South Africa, the youths chanted, “Africa Unite”.
They asked the West to stay off Burkina Faso and, most importantly, its leader who has worked and is still working for the interest of his people since becoming military junta leader in 2022.
These protests were motivated by comments made by Head of US Africa Command (Africom), General Langley Michael.
A week ago, the general, while briefing the US Senate, said Ibrahim Traore was using Burkina Faso’s gold for personal protection.
Following his statement, Burkina Faso’s military junta-led government said it had foiled an attempted coup and possible assassination plot. In a statement read on the national TV, the defence minister said the mutineers were assisted by neighbouring Ivory Coast.
Not long after that, images of General Langley Michael and Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara began surfacing online.
Outrage Across Africa
The attempt by the West to overthrow Captain Traore from power and reportedly upported by Ivory Coast triggered anger among millions of African youths. In the diaspora and back in Africa, they are calling on the West to stay off Traore.
That explains why on Wednesday, April 30, millions went on the streets and marched in solidarity with Ibrahim Traore.
Moforlo Emmanuel Fombuwing is a Cameroonian living in the US. In an interview with The Post, he expressed satisfaction that, for the first time in decades, an African country has a leader that thinks of his people’s welfare.
“This is a very important moment for African youths, especially for me,” Moforlo said, reacting to the worldwide protest in solidarity for Traore.
“Growing up, we have always had an issue whereby we don’t like the way the West treats Africa, especially our leaders, and so sometimes we blame our leaders for poor development in our countries. But actually, we have seen what Ibrahim Traore is doing to his country,” he added.
Accusing the West of trying to manipulate Africans and also attempting to assassinate Traore, Moforlo said Africans have been awakened by Traore’s actions, which are tilted to the continent’s unity.
“We, the youths of Africa, are so happy, and the only thing we could do is stand behind him so that we should not be divided as young Africans,” he said.
He decried the fact that the West does want Africa to be economically independent, yet still does not want Africans going to the West.
Moforlo is urging African youths to stand by their leaders who have the nation’s interests at heart and also for those advocating for Africa’s unity. He remembers the likes of Mohammed Gadaffi, Patrice Lumumba and Kwame Nkrumah. These African leaders were toppled and some killed because of their ideology for the unity of Africa.
So the protest that was witnessed on Wednesday in Canada, Germany, the USA, South Africa and Ghana is because of the awakeness that Traore has brought to African youths.
At 37 and barely three years in power, he has gained the support of his people and is being admired by African youths. His revolutionary ideas are transforming Burkina Faso in every domain, making life better for his people. His achievements are being praised by every African on the continent.
“The main reason behind this protest was to give hope to our leaders not to be afraid of the imperialists and to say no to neocolonialism. The young also encouraged African leaders to pave a way for African unity now that there is youth consciousness,” said Moforlo.
