Burkina Faso: Introduction

This research paper provides an introductory overview of Burkina Faso, detailing its political instability, the severe impact of terrorism and jihadi violence, its shifting international alliances, and its economic challenges as a low-income, landlocked nation.

• Burkina Faso has a history of significant political instability, including six coups (1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and two in 2022), two attempted coups (1989, 2015), and a popular uprising in 2015. The current head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, took power in September 2022 from Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had previously ousted President Christian-Roch Kaboré in January 2022.
• The country was the most affected by terrorism globally in 2023 according to the Global Terrorism Index, with fatalities increasing by 68% in 2023 compared to the start of jihadi violence in 2014. This crisis led to 2.01 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) by 30 March 2023. The violence has disrupted essential services: 20% of healthcare facilities (413 total) are affected, impacting 3.8 million people, and 5,330 schools (20% of infrastructure) are closed, affecting 820,865 students, including 396,716 girls.
• Under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso has shifted its external relations by ending security cooperation with France and aligning with Russia. The country withdrew from the G5 Sahel alliance in December 2023 and formally exited the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 29 January 2025. In August 2024, it co-founded the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS) with Mali and Niger to promote security, defense, and economic integration, including the stated goal of creating a common currency to replace the West African Franc (CFA).
• Burkina Faso is a low-income country with low human development, ranking 185th out of 193 on the 2023/2024 Human Development Index and 149th out of 167 on the 2024 SDG Index. Its economy relies on subsistence farming, livestock, and mining; gold specifically accounts for approximately 80% of exports and 16% of GDP. Future development is threatened by the security crisis and the economic consequences of withdrawing from ECOWAS, such as higher financing costs and lower trade with non-WAEMU ECOWAS states.

APA

Yeboua, K. (2026). Burkina Faso: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=BF&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Yeboua, Kouassi. Burkina Faso: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=BF&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yeboua |first1=Kouassi |title=Burkina Faso: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=28 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=BF&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yeboua2026burkina, author = {Yeboua, Kouassi}, title = {{Burkina Faso: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=BF&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }