Roch Marc Christian Kaboré wasn't supposed to end up here. Not like this.
He was the "civilian hope." In 2015, when he took the oath of office, people genuinely thought the era of military strongmen in Burkina Faso was over. He was a banker by trade—a man of spreadsheets and soft-spoken diplomacy—not a man of fatigues and coups. But fast forward to early 2026, and the political landscape he once led is unrecognizable.
Honestly, if you look at his trajectory, it’s a masterclass in how quickly "stability" can evaporate when the jungle of Sahelian politics meets the cold reality of a spiraling insurgency.
The Banker Who Became a Kingpin
Kaboré wasn't some outsider. He was deeply embedded in the system for decades. His father, Charles Bila Kaboré, was a big deal—a government minister and a high-ranking banker. Roch followed suit. By 27, he was running the International Bank of Burkina. That’s young. Like, seriously young for that kind of power.
He served under the long-time autocrat Blaise Compaoré for years. He was Prime Minister. He was the President of the National Assembly. But in 2014, he saw the writing on the wall. When Compaoré tried to tweak the constitution to stay in power forever, Kaboré walked. He founded the People’s Movement for Progress (MPP) and basically rode the wave of popular anger right into the presidency in 2015.
He won fair and square. 53% of the vote. No military ties. It was a huge deal for a country that had seen more coups than most people see birthdays.
Why the "Inata Tragedy" Was the Beginning of the End
You've probably heard the name Inata. If you want to understand why Kaboré lost the room, you have to look at November 2021.
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At a remote military post in Inata, 53 gendarmes were slaughtered by jihadists. The kicker? They hadn't been fed properly for weeks. They were literally hunting for food to survive while waiting for supplies that never came. When that news hit Ouagadougou, the "banker-president" looked less like a steady hand and more like a detached bureaucrat.
The gap between the air-conditioned offices of the capital and the bloody trenches of the north became a canyon.
People were tired. Since 2015, over 7,000 people had died. Two million were displaced. The "Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie" (VDP)—the civilian auxiliaries Kaboré created to help the army—were getting hammered. Critics accused his administration of "laxity" and "nepotism." By the time the military finally moved against him on January 24, 2022, the streets didn't rise up to save him. They celebrated.
The Coup That Kept Going
The 2022 coup led by Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was just the first domino. Kaboré was detained, then put under house arrest. There’s this famous handwritten resignation letter he signed: "In the interests of the nation... I have decided to resign."
Short. Terse. Very Kaboré.
But Damiba didn't last either. Within eight months, Captain Ibrahim Traoré—the "People's Captain"—ousted Damiba, claiming the security situation was still a mess. As of January 2026, Traoré is still in charge, having just thwarted yet another coup attempt earlier this month (January 3, 2026, to be exact).
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Where does that leave Roch?
He’s a ghost in the system now. Though he was eventually allowed to return to his private residence in Ouagadougou, he remains a symbol of a democratic experiment that many in the current junta view as a failure. His party, the MPP, is sidelined. The political "old guard" he represented is effectively in exile or silence.
What Most People Get Wrong
It’s easy to paint Kaboré as a complete failure, but that's a bit lazy. Under his watch, Burkina Faso was initially praised for its civil liberties. The press was relatively free. The economy was growing.
But he couldn't solve the one problem that mattered: security.
The insurgency wasn't just a military problem; it was a social one. Ethnic tensions, specifically involving the Fulani community, flared up. The army was under-equipped despite a budget increase of over 270% during his tenure. Where did that money go? Corruption. That’s the word you’ll hear in the markets of Bobo-Dioulasso.
The 2026 Perspective: Legacy or Lesson?
Looking back from 2026, Kaboré’s presidency feels like a bridge that collapsed halfway across. He tried to apply "banking logic" to a "war logic" situation. It didn't work.
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Today, Burkina Faso has pivoted hard away from the West—and away from the civilian-led model Kaboré championed. The country is now a key part of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with Mali and Niger. French troops are out; Russian influence is in.
Roch Marc Christian Kaboré remains in his home, a quiet figure in a very loud, very turbulent era.
Actionable Takeaways for Following West African Politics
If you’re trying to keep up with what’s happening in the Sahel today, don't just look at the headlines about coups. Look at these three things:
- The VDP Recruitment: Watch how the current government uses the civilian volunteers Kaboré started. It’s the ultimate litmus test for local security.
- The AES Alliance: Understand that the departure from ECOWAS (which Kaboré supported) is a permanent shift in regional trade and security.
- The "Inata Factor": Whenever you hear about military logistics failing, know that a coup is likely brewing. Logistics win—or lose—regimes in this region.
Kaboré’s story is a reminder that in the Sahel, legitimacy isn't just won at the ballot box. It has to be maintained on the front lines every single day.
To stay informed on the current situation, follow updates from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and monitoring groups like ISS Africa, which provide the most granular data on the shifting security dynamics that first undid Kaboré’s presidency. Focus on the quarterly reports regarding internal displacement and military expenditure to see if the current administration is avoiding the "Inata trap" that led to the 2022 upheaval.