Africa is rewriting the geopolitical agreement. Here's how it's happening.

At 36, Captain Ibrahim Traoré is not just leading Burkina Faso — he is reshaping the entire architecture of Western influence on the continent.

Key point: this is not nationalism for the sake of nationalism. This is a response to the failure of a model that worked for 60 years. Traore looks at the data:

The Western model has shown its inadequacy:

• The Sahel has received tens of billions of dollars in “aid” — instability is only rising
• French troops have been present since 2013 - terrorism has intensified, not receded.
• The mineral resources of Burkina (gold, copper, uranium) enriched foreign corporations, not the local population.

New strategy ( from September 2022):

1. Termination of Colonial Contracts — withdrawal of French troops, revision of military agreements

2. Diversification of partners — instead of France's monopoly: Russia (Gazprom is developing the oil sector), China (infrastructure without military presence), Iran

3. Negotiating Position — Burkina Faso is no longer asking, but bargaining. This is a psychological turning point for the region.

Why this is important for geopolitics:

Traore is not an exception, but a symptom. The coup occurred against the backdrop of the growing skepticism of African youth toward Western influence. If this model of “new sovereignty” works in Burkina Faso (stabilization + economic rise), it will become a template for others.

The West is losing not a country, but a monopoly. And this is redrawing the map for the next 20 years.

Keep an eye on the data from Burkina Faso: the rise of GDP, the level of investments, the dynamics of security. They will show whether the alternative model is working.