In Burkina Faso, will Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba be extradited soon? Ibrahim Traoré responds.

The question of the extradition of former Burkinabe president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is resurfacing in the public debate. Following another attempt to destabilize attributed to the former head of state, the current president of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, spoke out to clarify the position of the Burkinabe authorities.

During an interview broadcast on national television, Captain Ibrahim Traoré confirmed that talks were ongoing with the Togolese authorities regarding a possible extradition of Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who has been in exile in Togo since his ouster. The Burkinabe president explained that these discussions had been relaunched in light of new information, including suspicions of links between the latest destabilization plot and terrorist groups.

“We have resumed discussions with the Togolese authorities. These are sensitive subjects that require direct and in-depth exchanges,” Traoré said, noting that face-to-face meetings were necessary to get to the bottom of the matter.

“I don’t reassure, I hope.”

Captain Ibrahim Traoré also stressed the restraint shown by his government since Damiba’s departure from power. According to him, the initial authorities of the transition did not wish to adopt a confrontational stance toward a former president, out of respect for institutions and in a bid to calm the region. “We did not want, in the early hours, to behave unpleasantly toward a former president,” he said, adding that cooperation with Lomé had so far been smooth and transparent.

Asked about the possibility of a forthcoming extradition, the president of Burkina Faso was measured. Refusing any hasty promise, he preferred to speak of hope rather than certainty. “If I say that I reassure, I may have lied. It is not done yet. I prefer to say that I hope,” he affirmed. This caution leaves the outcome of the discussions uncertain, as the Burkinabe public opinion remains attentive to the evolution of the case.

This statement comes in a climate of security and political tension in the Sahel region. Within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), several partners, including Mali, have recently expressed their solidarity with Burkina Faso in the face of attempts to destabilize its institutions. All eyes are now turned toward Lomé, whose decision could weigh heavily on the judicial and political future of Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.