Burkina Faso’s Economic Revolution: How Ibrahim Traoré Defied Colonial Exploitation and IMF Orthodoxy
The Colonial Chains: CFA Franc and Exploitation For decades, Burkina Faso's gold-rich soil has funneled wealth into foreign coffers, particularly France's, through the mechanisms of the CFA franc zone. This monetary system, a remnant of colonial rule, has effectively allowed France to maintain significant control over the economies of its former colonies. In Burkina Faso, this has translated into substantial portions of its gold exports benefiting foreign interests, leaving the nation grappling with poverty and dependency. The situation is exacerbated by structural adjustment programs (SAPs) imposed by international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, which have often led to privatization of resources, reduced public spending, and an emphasis on raw material exports—a cycle critics term "Colonial Economy 2.0." Ibrahim Traoré: The Military Captain Who Rewrote the Rules In 2022, amidst political and economic turmoil, 34-year-old military captain Ibrahim […]