Are you keeping up with what's happening in Africa? There’s a guy who’s really shaking up the geopolitical landscape there: Ibrahim Traoré, the 36-year-old president of Burkina Faso. Seriously, this guy is changing the game in a way few expected.

The interesting thing is that Traoré doesn’t come from the traditional political elite. He’s a geologist, a former artillery officer, and has operated in the most volatile zones in northern Burkina Faso. He has witnessed firsthand the advance of terrorism, persistent poverty, and has started questioning things that many only whisper about: why billions in international aid can’t stop the collapse? Why do foreign troops stay there while attacks only increase? Why do the country’s mineral riches only benefit foreign companies?

In September 2022, Ibrahim Traoré took a step no one expected: he led a coup that ousted Paul-Henri Damiba, the transitional president who was there with Western support. And he didn’t stop there. In just a few months, he expelled French armed forces, ended historic military agreements, revoked concessions from French NGOs and media outlets like RFI and France 24. Basically, he said: “Burkina Faso needs to be free,” and he started acting.

What’s happening now is fascinating. Traoré is redefining the country’s entire foreign policy. He’s signing bilateral agreements with Russia, China, and Iran, seeking partnerships that don’t come with embedded subordination. Russian Gazprom is already involved in exploring a newly discovered oil reserve, and the plan is for Burkina Faso not only to extract but also refine and export the products. China is investing in infrastructure and technology, without deploying military forces.

It’s like a real breakaway movement against decades of Western domination. Ibrahim Traoré is showing that it’s possible to break free from this puppet government and external interference model. It may not be perfect, but it’s shaking things up there. Worth keeping an eye on how this develops.