Burkina Faso’s Military Leader Challenges Status Quo, Signals Departure From ECOWAS Amidst Arms Procurement Deals With Russia And Iran

In a video statement, Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, confirmed the country’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and highlighted the strengthening of diplomatic ties with Russia….CONTINUE READING

Traore asserted that his government now has the ability to procure weapons without restrictions from Russia and Iran. The joint withdrawal of military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from ECOWAS was previously reported by SaharaReporters. The decision was officially declared on January 28, 2024, in Ouagadougou, Bamako, and Niamey. The military rulers cited ECOWAS’s deviation from the ideals of the founding fathers and pan-Africanism as the primary reasons for their withdrawal.

Ibrahim Traore, addressing the imposed sanctions on Niger Republic, argued that these sanctions lacked a legal basis within ECOWAS laws. He criticized the alleged violation of texts by those who imposed sanctions and emphasized that the decision to exit ECOWAS was final.

Regarding arms procurement, Traore expressed confidence in the unrestricted support from Russia and Iran, stating, “With Russia, there is no equipment that we want to pay for with them that they don’t sell. Others place restrictions on us. Of course, they tell us we can buy any type of weapon. There are many countries: Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Korean, and so on. There are no restrictions, with Iran, whatever we want. They will take stock, if we can pay, we pay.