Focus on Africa
Burkina Faso says foiled assassination plot
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7 January 2026
23 minutes
Available for over a year
Burkina Faso’s military government says it has stopped an attempt to assassinate junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, just hours after soldiers allegedly plotted to remove him and other senior officials. The latest plot follows years of coups and instability in the West African nation.
We then turn to Africa’s digital frontier, where disinformation is evolving fast. Generative AI and deepfakes are being used to manipulate videos and images, especially during elections. In Uganda, authorities are warning political actors to campaign ethically, while experts demonstrate how to spot fake content. The episode explores both the fragility of power and the fragility of truth.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Ayuba Iliya, Keikantse Shumba, Bella Twine
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
