Burkina Faso rejects Ivorian suicide claim, calls activist Alino Faso’s death an assassination

Burkina Faso has dismissed claims by Ivorian authorities that a prominent Burkinabé activist died by suicide while in detention, instead describing the death of Alain Traoré—widely known as Alino Faso—as an “assassination.”

Traoré, a well-known political activist and vocal supporter of military regimes across the Sahel, had been arrested in Côte d'Ivoire six months ago on espionage charges.

On Saturday, Ivorian officials announced that the 44-year-old had taken his own life two days earlier while being held at a military academy.

But Burkina Faso’s Information Minister firmly rejected this explanation, casting doubt on the official account and raising suspicions of foul play.

“The government rejects the suicide theory,” the statement said.

Supporters of Traoré also disputed the Ivorian narrative, calling it a “cover-up for political repression.”

Traoré had built a large online following through his strong advocacy for the military juntas currently in power in Burkina Faso and other Sahelian countries—regimes that have come into conflict with the regional bloc ECOWAS over their refusal to return to democratic rule.

On Facebook alone, Traoré had amassed more than 400,000 followers.

Following his arrest in January, human rights organisations and his supporters denounced the charges as politically motivated.

In the wake of his death, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, demanded a full investigation and called for the repatriation of the activist’s remains. He also criticised the Ivorian government for announcing the death via social media before informing the family.

“There is a great deal of contempt, a lack of respect and courtesy for the authorities and the people of Burkina Faso, and it is even more so for the family of the deceased who discovered such painful news on social media,” the minister said.

He added that he had summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Ivorian Embassy in Ouagadougou on Monday to seek verbal confirmation of the activist’s death.

In response, Côte d'Ivoire’s public prosecutor confirmed that an investigation had been launched to determine the “motives and circumstances” of what is still being described as a suicide.

Traoré had moved to the Côte d'Ivoire in 2021 with his family, where he ran a restaurant.

In addition to his online activism, he was known for organising humanitarian assistance for displaced communities.

During his detention, rights groups accused Ivorian authorities of violating international human rights standards, citing “inhumane” conditions in which he was allegedly held.