LOMÉ, Togo — Togo has arrested and expelled Burkina Faso’s former president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, sending him back to his home country after authorities in Ouagadougou accused him of involvement in an alleged coup plot against military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Damiba, a former army officer, seized power in January 2022 after toppling Burkina Faso’s civilian government, which had faced mounting public anger over its failure to contain jihadist violence.
He was himself ousted less than nine months later in a coup led by Traoré, who remains in power at the head of a military-led administration.
Earlier this month, Burkina Faso’s authorities announced they had disrupted what they described as a plot to assassinate Traoré, alleging that the plan had been coordinated by Damiba, who had been living in exile in the Togolese capital, Lomé.
Togo’s presidency confirmed Damiba’s arrest and expulsion but stopped short of explicitly linking him to any specific coup attempt.
In a statement, Togolese officials said Damiba had previously been warned against engaging in activities aimed at destabilising Burkina Faso while on Togolese soil.
The decision to expel Damiba underscores the growing regional sensitivity around political instability and military takeovers in West Africa, where a wave of coups has reshaped power in countries including Mali, Guinea, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Since assuming power in September 2022, Traoré has repeatedly accused both internal and external actors of plotting to overthrow his government.
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Burkinabè authorities say they have foiled several coup attempts, often alleging foreign involvement, though details are rarely made public.
Security analysts say the case highlights the fragile alliances among West African states as they navigate competing pressures from domestic unrest, militant violence and shifting regional blocs, including Burkina Faso’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) alongside Mali and Niger.
Damiba’s return to Burkina Faso now places him at the centre of an increasingly tense political and security environment, as the Traoré administration tightens its grip amid persistent threats to its rule.
