The Economist has an interesting and useful profile of Burkina Faso’s Blaise Compaoré in its most recent edition. It inspires some lazy commentary here.
Readers should note Burkina Faso’s important role in hostage negotiations between western and regional governments and AQIM. This is a testiment to the degree to which Compaoré has, through fair and fowl means, turned his country into a quiet superpower in northwest Africa over 23 years. Compaoré’s power brokering often works in conjunction with other African strongmen. He is held in high regard by the Algerian leadership and keeps close contacts with Qadhafi while remaining on good terms with Morocco. His dealings in Guinean and Togolese politics often make use of his North African connections. As an experienced operator he survives because he can quickly identify and adapt to changes in power relationships. And once he has mastered the general trend, he proceeds with attention to detail and logistics. Continue reading
