Burkina Faso: A New Chinese “Prince” Emerges Close to Junta Leader

File image of Burkina Faso junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré. (Photo by Alexey DANICHEV / POOL / AFP)

As Burkina Faso’s military government reshapes its alliances in the face of a growing jihadist threat, a little-known but influential Chinese businessman has quietly risen to the center of the country’s war economy: Li Yubao.

Operating in Burkina Faso since 2019, Li was introduced by former ambassador Seydou Bouda and has since cultivated close ties with junta leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, offering repeated shows of support to the regime.

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by Christian Geraud Neema Byamungu

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