President Macron’s 2017 Speech Mocking Former Burkina Faso President Kabore Negates AFP’s Claims on Traore’s Growing Support

A short clip from a University of Ouagadougou event on November 28, 2017 that speaks to the posture of France toward its former colonies has resurfaced, with French President Emmanuel Macron mocking the former Burkinabè President Roch Kaboré, who Macron said had left to address a technical issue, at the event. With the video showing Kaboré’s exit, Macron mockingly stated, “He’s gone to fix the air conditioning,” prompting laughter from the audience. 

Macron’s remarks, which also criticised Burkina Faso’s power and education sectors, illustrate why figures like Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in 2022 amid widespread dissatisfaction with both internal corruption and foreign influence, have gained rapid traction among youth eager for a shift away from neocolonial structures.

However, in recent days, a growing media campaign has sparked controversy across West Africa and beyond. Recently, a French news agency’s report claimed that the soaring popularity of Burkina Faso’s 37-year-old president, Traoré, among Nigeria’s Gen Z population is driven by a “Russian disinformation” campaign. The original article, published by Agence France-Presse (AFP), has since been republished by prominent Nigerian outlets, including The Guardian and Channels Television, as well as international platforms like Barron’s, a Wall Street Journal affiliate, and French-language network TV5Monde.

This media narrative has ignited backlash, where many have labelled it as a calculated attempt at foreign interference, ironically employing the very Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) tactics that Western governments frequently accuse others, especially Russia, of using in Africa.

Traoré’s government has adopted a staunchly sovereignist posture, cutting military ties with France and seeking new regional and international alliances. While Western media has framed some of these shifts as evidence of malign foreign influence,  particularly from Russia, many Africans argue that the enthusiasm for Traoré is rooted not in manipulation but in an authentic, generational hunger for self-determination, dignity, and strong leadership.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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