Burkina Faso: France is Not Our Enemy – Ibrahim Traore

In a recent public address by the acting head of state of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore, he said: “France is not our enemy.

According to Captain Ibrahim Traore, French leaders have their policy. But as for the French people—how many French support us? How many French, even in the media where they talk about paying for the future… No! How many French influencers or whatever make videos?

These are the ones on social media making these videos to support me. They are numerous. Very numerous, and I greet them in passing. We don’t even know them. I see another fight.

Whoever wants to cooperate with us, no problem. But when you come… If you come and want to show us that you are superior to us, it’s over. You leave.

But if you’ve understood that you must come to deal as equals, man to man, no problem. We can talk business. Everyone does business in the world.

But imagine coming: ‘Ok, I have your gold. We’ll give you 10%.’ No, take the leftovers. In Burkina, that doesn’t work anymore.

If you come, we discuss. What do you bring?

Ok. The resources belong to us 100%. But depending on what you bring, we can evaluate and say: we’ll give 40%, or 45%, or even 50%. And we’re done. That’s a discussion.

But if you don’t want to come with the mindset that says ‘they are negroes, we’ll take what we want,’ that doesn’t work.

So, anyone who wants to work in Burkina, come with a healthy spirit.

We’ll do it even if tomorrow French entrepreneurs think they can just come here to Burkina. But if he comes with the master’s spirit, no longer wanting to treat slaves, we’ll throw him out.

And it’s over. But if you want to be treated intelligently without ulterior motives, we discuss. The contract is clear. If you step out of the contract, we tell you to go back home. It’s respect for our sovereignty, our independence. That is very important.”