Source : Sahel weather January 2026

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In Burkina Faso, the news reported a major security alert on the night of January 3 to 4 in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. According to the authorities, this was an attempted coup against the transitional president. Several soldiers were arrested and population movements were observed in both cities. Calls for rallies were issued by supporters of the regime to counter this attempted coup. Once again, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, exiled in Togo, is cited as one of the masterminds behind this affair. In any case, the alleged accomplices cited in this affair have presented him as the main instigator from his place of exile. According to them, he was behind this plan, which targeted the transitional authorities and involved the mobilization of resources transiting through Abidjan.

When questioned by the military authorities, Captain Prosper Couldiaty, who was arrested during this large-scale operation targeting the institutions of the Republic, did not deny the facts. He admitted to receiving five million CFA francs to take part in this attempted coup. He also implicated the former lieutenant colonel who had recently contacted him and, during his testimony, asked for clemency from the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahima Traoré, the Burkinabe people, and his military superiors. According to the Burkinabe government, the situation is under control. In his address to the nation, Captain Traoré emphasized that he would continue to strengthen the army's forces in order to intensify the fight against terrorists. According to him, "several operations have taken place in the theater of operations. We note in particular a daring operation launched two months ago, called 'Lalmasga', which means 'wall of ice' in English."