 The youngest president in Africa, Ibrahim Trawari, shocked the world. Meet Ibrahim Trawari, born in 1988, aged 35, in Bondiqui, Burkina Faso. This is a name that few people outside of his home country knew until recently. But in such a short span of time, he has become a sensation not just in Africa but worldwide. Trawari's journey began in his hometown of Bondiqui, where he was born into a humble family. He attended a high school in Bobo Dio Lasso, where he was known for being very quiet, yet talented and intelligent. He pursued his education at the University of Wagajungu in 2006. Ibrahim Trawari later graduated at the top of his class with a degree in fundamental and applied geology. Three years later, he then decided to join the Burkina B armed forces, where he was recruited in 2010 for the 12th promotion of the George-Namono Military Academy in Pah, which was home to the commando training centre. After training for two years, he was assigned to the artillery regiment in Kaya, in the central region of the country. He then became a lieutenant in 2014 and joined the menisma, a United Nations peacekeeping force that was charged with stopping an ongoing insurgency in Mali. He then returned to Burkina Faso, where he assisted in other missions. He was promoted to captain in 2020. Trawari was part of the group of army officers that supported the January 2022 Burkina Faso coup and brought the patriotic movement for safeguard and restoration military junta to power under the leadership of Polonri Sandeogo Demeba. Unfortunately, Sandeogo's performance as interim president was poor and hated by the population. He was said to have lost focus as he couldn't contain the jihadist insurgency. After many attempts to get Demeba to refocus on the coup failed, the military eventually opted to overthrow him as his ambitions were diverting away from what they set out to do. The dissatisfaction about the situation was highest among the younger officers who fought against the rebels on the front lines. On September 30, 2022, Captain Ibrahim Trawari led a military coup in Burkina Faso, overthrowing the government of Pol Henry Sandeogo Demeba. On October 21, 2022, Trawari was sworn in as the transitional president and head of state of Burkina Faso. He was also appointed supreme chief of the Burkina be armed forces, making him the youngest head of state in the world. He promised to hold democratic elections in July 2024. After Trawari became president, his government expelled the French forces that were assisting in the fight against the local insurgencies in Burkina Faso in February 2023. He declared his intentions for a beneficial partnership with international partners who would respect the diversification of Burkina Faso. Trawari's government further expressed support for a federation. And with that, Moli and Guinea joined him, given that all three countries are under military leadership, and if it were to become a union, it would be the largest country ruled by a military junta. In April, he called for a general mobilization of the population to support the military. Insurgencies continued to increase the rate of their attacks. He reiterated that elections could not be held unless the insurgents were pushed back and the security situation in Burkina Faso had improved. Trawari is said to have collaborated with the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization. However, the president of Burkina Faso denies these allegations, stating, On June 29, 2023, President Ibrahim Trawari received the Chinese representative for African affairs, Lu Yushi, exchanging their views on bilateral relations. Since the military takeover, China and Burkina Faso have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests, which has yielded fruitful outcomes. China says it supports Ibrahim Trawari's decision to independently explore its own path for development, maintaining national security, and achieving economic and social development. China is regarded by Burkina Faso as a cooperative partner and says it is ready to grow the existing relations, bringing more profits to both countries. Captain Trawari's presidency is marked by a commitment to ensure sovereignty, food security, and a recognition of Africa's historical contribution. He was speaking on July 28 at the Second Russia African Economic and Humanitarian Summit. He reiterated the importance of Africa achieving food security before the next summit and appreciated the Russian president for his donation of free grains to Africa. He reminded us of Africa's forgotten role in the Soviet Union and in the fight against Nazism in Germany and fascism in Italy during World War II, alongside Western powers such as the UK, France, and the United States. He lamented that historical narratives frequently marginalize the vital contributions of Africa, perpetuating a distorted view of history that neglects Africa's key role and inviting other African heads of state to avoid being used by imperialist forces. He lamented that Africa is a continent blessed with natural resources, water, and food, yet it is categorized as one of the world's poorest continents, depending on Western nations for survival. This is a reminder from Captain Trawari that Africa has been dormant enough and needs to rise against Western imperialism. Burkina Faso's coup is not the lone coup in Africa. It follows a series of other coups, ranging from Moli to Guinea, Chad, and most recently, Niger. Captain Trawari's speech at the St. Petersburg Summit in Russia made him likened to the legendary Burkina Bipan Africanist leader Thomas Sankara, suggesting that Trawari's vision murdered Sankara's vision. Africans were reminded of Sankara's prophetic words in 1987, and thousands of Sankaras will be born, which he pronounced amid intelligence from his circle about the impending threat of his assassination through a coup d'etat. Trawari is a strong advocate for Pan-African cooperation. He envisions a united Africa that collaborates on issues ranging from trade relations to security. Ibrahim Trawari's rise hasn't just captured the attention of his own nation, but also had a global impact. His story is an inspiration to young Africans worldwide, proving that age is not a barrier to leadership and change and giving young people hope that Africa can rise above imperialism and thrive. His youthful leadership challenges stereotypes about African politics. He represents a new face for the continent. World leaders are taking note of Trawari's vision, leading to discussions about potential partnerships and investments in his country. In response to the coup, the African Union, EU, and the Economic Community of West African States check was as well as Burkina Faso's international partners, including the European Union, France, the United Nations, and the United States denounced the military action. Burkina Faso was indefinitely suspended from eco was at various times between 2020 and 2022. The regional bloc imposed sanctions, initially barring them from trading with neighbors. At the EU summit held in Addis Ababa, eco was leaders rejected a joint request by Burkina Faso, Moli, and Guinea to lift sanctions imposed on them, as well as the eco was and the EU membership suspension following the military takeover of the governments. The EU denied the request and decided to maintain the existing sanctions on all three countries and to impose travel bans on members of government and other senior officials. However, the sanctions on Burkina Faso were lifted when the junta proposed a constitutional referendum in December 2024 and legislative and presidential elections in February 2025, which were approved. Deposed President Rockmark Christian Cabour was also freed. Unfortunately, the sanctions were reinstated when Burkina Faso sided with Niger in its July 2023 coup. Even with his remarkable assent, Ibrahim Trawari faces significant challenges. High expectations from a hopeful nation mean that Trawari must deliver on his promises quickly and effectively. Given that food scarcity is one of Burkina Faso's major problems, the expectations for him to provide lasting solutions to this problem are high. Some Burkina Bistal stand by his predecessor, Polonri Sandiogo Demaba, who was ousted and is now in Togo. Demaba was removed from power due to his inability to deal with a worsening armed uprising in the country. If Trawari is not going to be able to show tangible progress quickly, he may be ousted just like his predecessor. Burkina Faso's human rights situation seriously deteriorated in 2022 as deadly attacks by Islamist armed groups against civilians increased. Military forces and pro-government militias committed violations during counter-terrorism operations and political instability deepened as a result of two military coups. There was a continuous increase in civilian and military casualties and the loss of government-held territory spurred anti-government protests and two military coups, the first of which was in January, which saw the overthrow of President Rockmark Christian Cabaret, who was re-elected in 2020. Hundreds of attacks on civilians and military targets by armed groups in 10 of Burkina Faso's 13 regions have intensified a humanitarian crisis and brought the total number of people internally displaced since 2016 to about 2 million. He also risks facing opposition from established political forces who may resist his reforms. Some are already of the opinion that he has yet to prove his worth. Furthermore, since Captain Trawari's vision is centered around building a state where international partnerships are possible, safeguarding his country's interests might be a delicate task. The story of Ibrahim Trawari is one that has taken the world by storm. His youth, energy and vision have shocked and inspired us all. As he embarks on this historic journey, the world will be watching closely to see how his presidency unfolds. What do you think about this remarkable leader? Share your thoughts in the comments below.