The Young Lion Who Roared Against French Colonialism in Africa

When Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in Burkina Faso, the West screamed “coup d’état.” However, Africa witnessed something extraordinary: a 34-year-old soldier dismantling centuries of French economic colonialism faster than any elected leader. In just eighteen months, he cleared $4.79 billion in national debt, expelled French military bases, and transformed his nation’s relationship with its former colonial master.

I know what you will say: We don’t need military rulers. Every African has heard countless promises from men in uniform. But before you dismiss this analysis, consider a provocative truth: While elected leaders across French Africa dance to Paris’ tune, three young military leaders in the Sahel region are rewriting the rules of African sovereignty.

This isn’t a celebration of military rule—it’s an examination of how Africa’s youngest leader achieved what decades of “democracy” couldn’t: true economic independence.

Of all the fancy governance happening in Ghana, Tunisia, Nigeria, and South Africa, no other African country has fully replicated Burkina Faso’s recent achievement. Many African nations face significant debt challenges, but Traoré’s government turned economic theory into liberation practice.

Alright, I understand. You don’t like what I’m saying. Now, tell me what democratic countries in Africa have achieved what? With South Sudan, the continent now has 55 countries. However, less than five countries practice full democracy. The 2023 Democracy Index exposes our continental facade. Only Mauritius and Botswana qualify as ‘full democracies,’ while South Africa is a ‘flawed democracy.’ The rest? Various shades of authoritarianism masked in democratic clothing.

Across the continent, numerous countries have morphed into bonafide stooges of the West. Three young men in the Sahel decided to rid the area of Western imperial influence through the barrel of a gun. If you have a better option, I will be listening, but for now, how did they do it:

1. By cutting political and economic ties with Paris 

2. Getting out of any organisation led by the French 

3. Getting out of any situation that compels them to use any currency from France

4. To add value, they have made special arrangements with China and Russia to build institutions and installations that refine their natural resources to add value. 

Many African experts say what is happening in the Sahel now is the beginning of the total liberation of French Africa. This liberation goes beyond symbolism. For decades, countries in the Sahel region relied on French-dominated financial systems like the CFA franc, a currency designed by the French to limit African economic autonomy. By cutting ties with these systems, nations like Burkina Faso are reclaiming control over their resource trade policies and future. Liberation in this context means severing exploitative relationships.

Exploitative relationships that, in 2024, have burdened our continent with $102.6 billion in debt service payment. That’s enough money to build universities in every African capital, hospitals in every city, and roads in every major city. When over 40% of government revenue goes to service debt, we are not running countries—we are managing colonial payment plans. 

This is the reason why the ECOWAS threat to expel Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso was ironic because ECOWAS is the #1 stooge of the West. 

Liberation 

When Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power, the Narcoqueens and Godfathers of the old order predicted another puppet show. Instead, they got a puppet master’s nightmare. Within months, he had: 

– Expelled the French ambassador with the diplomatic equivalent of “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” 

– Dismantled French military bases in Burkina Faso 

– Elevated local languages to official status, relegating French to the status of a mere foreign language 

– Mobilized civilian volunteers for national defense, proving that sovereignty isn’t outsourced—it’s homegrown 

Tiger’s Roar: A Necessary Devil’s Advocate 

While we celebrate the young lions breaking colonial chains, let’s not forget how many military saviours became predators of their pride. From Mobutu to Abacha, history whispers warnings we can’t ignore: 

1. Every military ruler promises temporary reign, yet power has a way of becoming as sticky as honey on a chief’s fingers 

2. The Sahel’s new partnerships with Russia and China might just be exchanging one master’s whip for another’s cord 

3. Economic independence sounds beautiful, but isolation can turn a nation into a hungry lion in an empty savannah 

But here’s where this story differs: Traoré and his Sahel compatriots have shown something our previous military rulers haven’t—actual results. While the West screams “democracy,” Burkina Faso has cleared $5 billion in debt. While “experts” predicted chaos, they’ve built processing plants.

Could these young leaders become tomorrow’s tyrants? Hell yeah! 

Worst of all, being on the wrong side of America is like playing Russian roulette in geopolitics; ask Libya. An African in the White House led America to destroy Libya, and they did it with a huge grin the size of the River Nile. 

Conclusion 

Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership represents more than a military takeover or economic reformation—it embodies Africa’s emerging renaissance. While the West clutches its pearls over “democratic values,” Burkina Faso has demonstrated that true democracy isn’t measured in election cycles but in liberating its people from economic bondage. 

The $4.79 billion debt clearance isn’t just a financial achievement; it’s a blueprint for African sovereignty. From language decolonisation to resource nationalism, from military self-reliance to economic independence, Traoré has shown that Africa’s future lies not in the prescribed paths of Western institutions but in the courage to forge new ones. 

Call to Action

Fellow Africans, the question isn’t whether military rule is ideal – it’s whether we’re ready to support leaders who deliver tangible freedom. The Sahel revolution challenges us to measure leadership not by Western metrics but by African results.

Witty Observer Person of the Year Salute

For daring to challenge the established order, turning economic theory into liberation practice, and proving that Africa’s youngest leader can deliver what its oldest democracies couldn’t. We at the Witty Observer proudly name Captain Ibrahim Traoré our Person of the Year 2024.

May your roar continue to echo across the continent, young lion. The ancestors are proud.

Redefining Africa’s narrative: One audacious revolution at a time.