The Economic Fighters League (EFL), a Ghanaian Pan-Africanist movement, has lauded Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership in Burkina Faso, describing his actions as a revolutionary break from colonial economic structures.
Amodani Gariba, EFL’s Commander for Political Education, emphasised that Traoré’s leadership represents more than a mere coup—it signifies a profound transformation toward economic sovereignty.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, May 19, he drew parallels between Burkina Faso’s current trajectory and the early post-independence optimism of the 1950s and 1960s, a period when African leaders aspired to self-determination and economic independence.
“We like to think about what is happening in Burkina Faso under Captain Ibrahim Traore as a revolution. It is not just a mere coup that has happened. It is a revolution that going on, and in the classic Nkrumahist analysis, we like to think of Burkina Faso as a contested zone,” Gariba stated.
He noted that under Traoré, Burkina Faso is shifting from being an “enemy-held zone”—a state where economic decisions are controlled by external powers—to a nation reclaiming control over its resources and economic policies.
“We see him trying to rewrite the rules of economic relations between his country and France, another imperialist power,” Gariba remarked.
He highlighted Traoré’s efforts to nationalise key industries, such as gold mining, and invest in local processing capabilities, as steps toward reducing dependency on foreign entities.
Gariba said, “To us, this is refreshing because if you look at the history of Burkina Faso since their independence they had to sign a pact with France to say that they have to give away a lot of economic power to France and what have you for 60 years.
“…We are seeing a refreshing break from this and moreover we see him trying to nationalise mines and go into industrialisation all in line with our goal as Economic Freedom for Africa. We believe that what he is doing in the long term is going to enure to the economic freedom of Burkina Faso.”
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