Ibrahim Traoré is not a hero

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing in response to a recently published letter characterising Ibrahim Traoré as a ‘hero’. In my opinion, this reflects a dangerous historical amnesia that ignores the sobering realities of geopolitical power and the recurring tragedy of the “strongman” archetype. As historians Niall Ferguson, Andrew Roberts, and others have extensively documented, the romanticisation of revolution is frequently the precursor to national decay. While the image of a young, beret-clad leader defying the West is aesthetically seductive, we must judge a regime by its empirical outcomes not its populist rhetoric.

History provides a grim precedent. From Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe to the various failed socialist experiments across post-colonial Africa, charismatic “liberators” have repeatedly dismantled democratic guardrails in favour of total control, ultimately delivering nothing but hyperinflation, starvation, and systemic oppression. Traoré’s trajectory mirrors this descent. Under his junta, Burkina Faso remains fractured by Islamist insurgencies, acute mismanagement, and a staggering humanitarian crisis.

Further, the notion that Traoré is “decolonising” his nation is a geopolitical fallacy. He has merely traded one master for another. As Ferguson argues, empires never truly ended. They simply changed flags. Russia and China are the modern neo-colonialists, and the presence of the Wagner Group in Africa represents a cynical exchange of national sovereignty for regime security. These Russian mercenaries are extractive forces propping up autocracy in exchange for mineral wealth.

The revolutionary path is invariably bloody and regressive. True, lasting progress - as Coleman Hughes might suggest - requires a rejection of ideological fervour in favour of objective results and individual agency. Real change does not arrive through the subversion of the ballot box or military coups. It is the product of the slow, disciplined work of education, moral empowerment, and spiritual renewal.

For Jamaica, a nation rooted in Judeo-Christian traditions and the sanctity of the family unit, we must be wary of such “heroes”. Our path forward lies in integrity, personal responsibility, and accountability – values steeped in our biblical heritage. We must reject the glorification of military juntas and instead champion the rule of law. A leader who destroys the foundations of liberty under the guise of saving them is no hero. He is a cautionary tale that history will likely eventually judge with a heavy hand. We wish him and the people of Burkina Faso well.

FRANCESCA TAVARES