#CreatorPad Colonel Ibrahim Traoré became the youngest head of state in the world after a military coup in September 2022, when he overthrew Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and assumed leadership in October of the same year. As a geology graduate turned military officer, Traoré has combat experience against jihadist insurgents and even served in Mali with the UN MINUSMA mission.

Since taking power, he has pursued a strong anti-colonial and Pan-African agenda, distancing Burkina Faso from France and bringing it closer to Russia. His government has implemented wide-ranging reforms—nationalizing gold mining operations, expanding industrial projects, and launching infrastructure and social housing initiatives—with the goal of economic self-sufficiency.

Traoré sees himself as a modern Sankara, embracing a strong nationalist image and cultural symbols—such as the inauguration of Thomas Sankara's mausoleum—to build patriotic unity. However, his rule has been deeply controversial, marked by concerns over human rights, repression of dissent, delays in elections, and escalating security issues.