“What hurts me the most is that he’s Black and it really hurts to see a Black man being used to fight against another Black man.” — Ibrahim Traoré

“We are free to establish relations with whomever we choose. That is what independence means. So on this matter, they can continue to think whatever they want. As for us, we will go wherever we want as long as the partnership can in any case be mutually beneficial for both parties. Regarding those remarks, as you mentioned, we protested through the ministry of Foreign affairs that was just one thing, but I don’t know what happened with that General. There is still a problem and I would perhaps like him to admit his mistake if he was sent, and to understand that this was not the right mission. If he was misled, he should say so publicly or otherwise, admit before the Senate that he was mistaken, or also if it was done with bad intentions.

Well, we will confront him as we should, because everything he said is a lie and it’s really shameful to see an adult and general officer of a great army lie.

First of all, he talked about Burkina’s gold being used by us to protect ourselves. It’s Burkina’s gold and not his, so what business is it of his? It’s none of his business. It’s Burkina’s gold, It doesn’t concern him.

Secondly, he’s lying because Burkina never had any gold reserves until we came. We were the ones who started setting aside gold in the treasury of Burkina Faso. Otherwise, there wasn’t a single gram of gold reserves in Burkina, so that means he’s a liar!

And another thing, when he said that we use it to protect ourselves. We’re free! If the people have decided that we should govern them, then we have a duty to protect ourselves, so we are free. What business is it of his?

And the part that hurts me the most is not because he’s a General or because he’s American or anything like that, but because he’s Black, and it really hurts to see a Black man being used to fight against another Black man. This didn’t start just now, it has to stop! You see, it’s very dangerous. Even Libya, who destroys Libya? Once again, they used the black man. The movies back in the day in America, Black people always played the bad guy. We told ourselves it’s just in the movies, but why do black people have to keep playing the bad guy? I think that is he heard this interview, he should look at himself in the mirror, feel ashamed, come out and say well, I was given a false report, I regret it. He needs to say it publicly. If it was a false report, then it was made because it’s possible. It’s possible that he was given a false report that he should come out with it because as you saw when I take another neighbor. Again, as I say among us Black, the Ivorian minister of defense goes around, travels to Turkey, meets the Turkish minister of defense and tells him he shouldn’t sell us weapons. You see how much that hurts! When it’s a Black person who behaves like that, it really hurts. Did we make a false report?