Residents of Burkina Faso took to the streets late on Saturday night following reports of an attempted coup against the country’s military-led government.

Demonstrators gathered near the presidential palace in Ouagadougou in the early hours of Sunday, vowing to defend President Captain Ibrahim Traoré amid claims that external forces were seeking to destabilise his administration.

According to authorities, the alleged plot was co-ordinated from Lomé in neighbouring Togo and involved former transitional President Paul-Henri Damiba. Officials say the attempt to overthrow the government was thwarted on the night of Saturday, January 3, 2026, by Burkina Faso’s defence and security forces.

The government has not released further details on arrests or casualties, but security has been heightened in the capital as investigations continue. Burkina Faso has experienced a series of coups in recent years, reflecting ongoing political instability linked to insecurity and militant violence in the Sahel region.

–ChannelAfrica–