Why the U.S. Secretly Hates Burkina Faso // Lee Camp

Lee Camp | Trusted Newsmaker

Africa’s Gold, Anti-Imperialism, and the Traoré Revolution

We all know the U.S. Empire coos more than a horny dove. Every waking moment, they’re either cooing, preparing to coo, or thinking about cooing dozens of countries. The list is so long that even people who care tend to ignore half of them. But let’s talk about an important one that gets even less coverage—Burkina Faso.

There’s a young revolutionary leader named Ibrahim Traoré. And someone—maybe a lot of someones—clearly has it out for him. He barely survived a foreign-orchestrated coup just two months ago. The plotters, Traoré said, were based in Ivory Coast, where America’s military presence just so happens to be expanding.

Traoré took power in a military coup in September 2022. Since then, the U.S. establishment has been quietly laying the groundwork for his removal. Recently, General Michael Langley, commander of AFRICOM, testified before the Senate. Despite the name, AFRICOM doesn’t bring calm to Africa. It brings imperial muscle dressed in a press release.

Langley accused Traoré of corruption while throwing in scare words like “Russia” and “China.” Classic. It’s like America’s greatest hits: slap the “authoritarian” label on someone trying to nationalize their country’s resources and throw in some Cold War vibes for seasoning.

Here’s the real kicker—Traoré has started to nationalize Burkina Faso’s mining industry. That’s a major problem for the West because Burkina Faso’s economy revolves around gold, which accounts for more than 80% of its exports. The country is the world’s 13th largest producer of gold.

Western elites hate this. Why? Because Traoré wants to use the gold for Burkina Faso, not to line the pockets of multinationals and the corrupt political puppets who dance for them. Even if Traoré were keeping all that gold for his country, who is the U.S. to complain? The same U.S. that’s been exploiting Africa for centuries?

Senator Roger Wicker was practically weeping on the Senate floor, asking why Africa’s mineral wealth hasn’t benefited its people. It’s as if he forgot to read a single history book. Spoiler alert: The West stole everything. For hundreds of years.

Traoré isn’t playing along. He expelled the French ambassador and booted French troops from the country. He’s limiting Western influence and calling it what it is—neocolonialism. He’s not wrong. In response, President Macron accused Burkina Faso of “ingratitude.” Imagine that: the abuser demanding thanks from the abused.

Fourteen African nations still use the CFA franc, a currency set at a fixed rate by France. That alone is a choke chain around the economies of “former” colonies. Currency is control. It’s no different than the petrodollar—it forces compliance, often at the expense of national interest.

Now Traoré says he wants out of the CFA franc and is planning a new national currency. Historically, that’s when Western bombs start falling. Libya, Iraq, Syria—leaders who ditch Western currency don’t usually last long.

He’s also pushing for regional unity. Along with Mali and Niger, Traoré established the Alliance of Sahel States. It’s a bold step toward a pan-African anti-imperialist union. And that scares the hell out of Western powers.

What’s next? We’ve seen this playbook before. Soon we’ll probably hear that Traoré used chemical weapons on his own people. Or that he’s committing mass atrocities. The goal? Demonize, destabilize, and destroy.

Traoré has asked a simple but powerful question: Why is resource-rich Africa the poorest region in the world? His answer? Because African leaders act like puppets of imperialists. And he’s refusing to be one.

Of course, many African leaders have made similar promises—only to be couped, assassinated, or blackmailed by the very powers they defied. But times are changing. Social media, independent media, and a growing awareness among the youth make coups harder to hide and harder to sell.

As U.S. power wanes, it’s getting sloppier. But the empire still knows how to play dirty. One day you’re nationalizing gold, the next day you’re “suicided” with a paper T-shirt. The message is clear: don’t mess with Western money.

Still, Traoré is inspiring others. And if more African leaders follow suit, there may finally be a chance for the continent to chart its own course, free from foreign manipulation.

The Bottom Line? Traoré’s defiance threatens centuries of Western theft. That’s why the U.S. hates Burkina Faso—and why it’s more important than ever to pay attention to what comes next.

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