02/05/2025
Facts About Ibrahim Traoré, Africa’s Most Popular President.
1. Ibrahim Traoré studied geology at the University of Ouagadougou and graduated with honors in 2009.
2. In 2018, as a fighter with UN peacekeeping forces in Mali, Traoré gained a reputation as a brave and fearless soldier, undertaking dangerous and complex missions.
3. Even as president, Traoré refuses to wear a suit. He always wears his military uniform with combat gear and carries a pistol, even during meetings with other world leaders. The only known exception was during his visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he removed his sidearm.
4. In 2023, Traoré oversaw the construction of Burkina Faso’s first gold refinery and banned small-scale gold production to curb smuggling.
5. He also expelled foreign military forces, refusing to allow foreign powers to establish bases in Burkina Faso.
6. In a move to decolonize the judiciary, President Traoré banned British and French colonial-style wigs for judges, promoting national identity instead.
7. Under his leadership, Burkina Faso launched its first fully locally funded $12 million tomato processing factory.
8. That same year, Traoré removed French as an official language, replacing it with local languages a move Mali had also made earlier in 2023.
9. A passionate sports enthusiast, President Traoré organized a football match and played alongside African legends like Jay-Jay Okocha, Emmanuel Adebayor, Stéphane Mbia, Mamadou Niang, and Souleymane Diawara. Impressively, he scored a hat trick during the game.