From Textbooks to Trenches: Ibrahim Traoré’s Radical Blueprint for Burkina Faso’s Renaissance
“Until my people are safe, I remain a soldier.” — Captain Ibrahim Traoré
I. The Rise of a Reluctant Revolutionary
Burkina Faso, long a ghost in the margins of world affairs, is today the unexpected front line of a war—not just against terrorism, but against intellectual imperialism, economic enslavement, and the systemic looting of African futures. At the epicenter stands Captain Ibrahim Traoré, a 37-year-old geologist-turned-guerrilla, who has shaken the foundations of the post-colonial world order.
From dusty textbooks in Bondokuy to blood-stained trenches in the Sahel, Traoré’s journey is not that of a politician—but of a man possessed by purpose. Having studied the layers beneath Burkina Faso’s parched soil, he unearthed not just gold, but betrayal: billions worth of resources stolen under the watchful eyes of "development partners." Less than 5% of gold exports ever returned to the people. The rest vanished into the offshore vaults of corporations, NGOs, and puppet regimes propped up by Western might.
This awakening transformed Traoré. What the world calls “poverty,” he calls plunder. What the IMF brands “reform,” he calls economic occupation. In 2022, at just 34, he did the unthinkable: he overthrew a complicit regime—not to seize power, but to reclaim it.
A Strategic Analysis of Ibrahim Traoré’s Revolutionary Leadership
Burkina Faso, a landlocked West African nation, has long lingered in the shadows of global awareness — overshadowed by more prominent African states and plagued by internal challenges. Yet, in recent years, this unassuming country has emerged as a beacon of anti-imperialist fervor and Pan-African ambition, largely due to the audacious leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
At just 37, the world’s youngest head of state has transformed Burkina Faso into a symbol of resistance, sovereignty, and self-reliance, capturing global attention for all the right reasons. This strategic blog delves into:
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Burkina Faso’s historical obscurity
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The systemic challenges that kept it off the world stage
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Ibrahim Traoré’s revolutionary actions
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A geopolitical analysis of how his leadership is reshaping the Sahel and beyond
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso: A Nation in the Shadows
“Land of Upright People” — that’s what Burkina Faso means. With 22 million people and a rich cultural heritage of over 60 ethnic groups, it was formerly known as Upper Volta under French colonial rule until gaining independence in 1960.
Yet despite its history of resilience, Burkina Faso remained largely unknown to the global community. Here’s why:
Geographic and Economic Marginalization
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Landlocked and resource-scarce, the country lacks ports or oil wealth that attract international attention.
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The economy relies on subsistence agriculture and gold exports, with over 40% of the population living below the poverty line.
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This economic fragility has historically limited its global footprint.
Chronic Instability
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Since 1966, Burkina Faso has experienced seven military coups, hampering consistent governance.
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Corruption and elite capture further weakened state institutions and development.
Security Crisis
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Since 2016, the country has faced a violent jihadist insurgency spilling over from Mali.
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Groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS have displaced over 2 million people and controlled nearly 60% of the territory by 2022.
Colonial Legacy and Neocolonial Influence
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Post-independence, Burkina Faso remained tethered to France economically and militarily.
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The presence of French troops and use of the CFA franc (pegged to the Euro) limited true sovereignty.
These combined challenges — poverty, instability, insecurity, and external dominance — kept Burkina Faso largely invisible, known only to development agencies and regional analysts.
Ibrahim Traoré: The Revolutionary Catalyst
Born in 1988 in Bondokuy, western Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré is a military officer with a background in geology and battlefield experience fighting jihadist insurgents.
In September 2022, at just 34 years old, he led a coup to oust Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba. Frustrated with Damiba’s failure to curb violence and his cozy relationship with the West, Traoré was sworn in as interim president in October 2022.
Traoré’s ideology echoes that of Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso’s legendary revolutionary leader (1983–1987). Donning the iconic red beret and military fatigues, Traoré champions:
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Self-reliance
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Anti-imperialism
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Pan-African unity
He is on a mission to "refound" Burkina Faso — a nation free from Western dominance and capable of solving its own problems.
II. Two Years. One Mission. Zero Apologies.
Unlike technocratic leaders who govern by PowerPoint, Traoré has ruled through acts of defiance. In two years, he has declared war on every sacred cow of neocolonialism—finance, education, mining, military presence, and even technology.
1. IMF & World Bank: Evicted
Action: Traoré outright rejected IMF/World Bank loans, branding them debt traps engineered to keep Africa poor and obedient.
Impact: This severed Burkina Faso’s financial umbilical cord to the West, but it lit a fire across the Sahel. Mali, Niger, and Guinea began questioning their economic servitude. For the first time in decades, African autonomy is being discussed outside academic panels—and inside presidential palaces.
2. Free Education: From Nursery to Nationhood
Action: All education—nursery to university—is now free. Schools are being built at record pace, and colonial curricula are being replaced by history rooted in Africa, science built for Africa, and languages spoken by Africa.
Impact: This isn’t just schooling—it’s ideological warfare. In a nation where knowledge was once imported like hand-me-downs, Burkina Faso is training its own “Generals of Thought.” French is out. Mooré, Dioula, and critical thinking are in. Sankara’s dream lives on.
3. Foreign Troops: Expelled
Action: French troops? Gone. Military deals with Paris? Scrapped. Burkina Faso now partners with Russia, Turkey, and Iran for defense—turning the Sahel into a new Cold War chessboard.
Impact: This marked a tectonic shift. Traoré accused France of perpetuating violence while pretending to fight it. The West screamed “Russian puppet”; Africa heard “sovereign leader.” The truth lies somewhere in between—but the impact is irreversible.
4. Gold Nationalization: Breaking the Resource Curse
Action: Foreign corporations like Endeavour Mining were sidelined. Traoré nationalized key mines, redirected royalties to communities, and banned raw exports.
Impact: Local cooperatives now run what foreign CEOs once looted. Profits are funding water pumps, schools, hospitals—not Geneva mansions. It's a live experiment in economic decolonization, and Ghana, Zimbabwe, and DRC are watching with wide eyes.
5. Electric Cars & Buses: Techno-Sovereignty on Wheels
Action: Traoré unveiled the country’s first locally produced electric car in 2024—designed and built by Burkinabé engineers. No Tesla. No World Bank. No Silicon Valley venture funds.
Impact: It's not just a vehicle—it’s a rolling rebellion. In rejecting the global tech monopoly and going local, Burkina Faso is declaring that African innovation doesn’t need permission. But challenges remain: lithium access, production scale, and long-term infrastructure.
Traoré’s Revolution: Bold Actions with Continental Ripples
Let’s break down the key actions Traoré has taken — and how they’re reshaping not just Burkina Faso, but Africa’s entire geopolitical orientation:
1. 🇫🇷 Expulsion of French Forces & Realignment of Alliances
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January 2023: Expelled 400 French special forces and terminated military cooperation agreements.
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Severed diplomatic ties with France, accusing it of neocolonial meddling.
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Pivoted toward Russia, Turkey, and Iran for military and economic partnerships.
Impact:
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Sparked a continental wave of anti-imperialist sentiment.
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Attending Russia’s Victory Day 2025 and meeting with Putin cemented Burkina Faso’s place in the emerging multipolar world order.
2. Nationalization of Resources
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Reclaimed control of major gold mines like Boungou and Wahgnion, previously owned by foreign entities.
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Mandated a 15% state stake in all future mining operations.
Impact:
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Asserted economic sovereignty.
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Inspired other African nations to reconsider their extractive industry deals.
3. Economic and Social Reforms
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Introduced free basic education, local housing projects, and infrastructure built by local labor.
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Refused a presidential salary and banned colonial-era judicial wigs.
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Rumored efforts to pay off Western debt (unverified).
Impact:
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Boosted legitimacy among the youth and Pan-Africanists.
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Policies like free education have gone viral — even if exaggerated online.
4. Military Reorganization and Counterinsurgency
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Created Rapid Intervention Battalions (BIR) and recruited 90,000 local Volunteers (VDP).
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Acquired advanced arms from Russia and Turkey.
Impact:
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Some regained control in conflict areas.
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Human rights concerns linger due to reported civilian casualties by VDP units.
5. Cultural and Linguistic Decolonization
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Dropped French as the official language, promoting local tongues like Mooré, Dioula, and Fula.
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Renamed colonial streets and invoked Sankara’s spirit in national policy.
Impact:
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Supercharged Pan-Africanist pride.
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Inspired diaspora solidarity across continents.
6. Regional and Global Diplomacy
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Formed the Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Niger — a counterforce to ECOWAS.
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Aligned with Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran.
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Delivered fiery speeches at forums like the Russia-Africa Summit.
Impact:
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Boosted geopolitical influence and soft power.
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Elevated Burkina Faso as a leader in the Global South.
7. Digital & Propaganda Campaign
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Cultivated a viral online persona using memes, AI-generated content, and Pan-African hero imagery.
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Mixed with unverified or disinformation-heavy content.
Impact:
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Built a cult-like following among African youth and diaspora.
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Also raised alarm over authoritarian tendencies and normalization of coups in West Africa.
III. The Gold War: Burkina Faso vs. The Global Market
Before Traoré, Burkina Faso’s gold flowed like a river—straight into foreign accounts. Today, it’s dammed, diverted to rebuild villages, fund education, and power hospitals. But this hasn’t come easy.
Multinational corporations are notoriously vengeful. Legal battles are looming. Infrastructure sabotage is suspected. But Traoré’s bet is clear: long-term sovereignty over short-term profit.
He’s not alone. Mali and Niger are exploring similar gold nationalization laws. The idea of a pan-African mining bloc, operating independently of Western markets, is gaining traction.
IV. Intellectual Warfare: Schools as Battlegrounds
Traoré isn’t just building schools—he’s building minds that resist indoctrination. Curricula now focus on pre-colonial African empires, pan-Africanism, environmental science, engineering, and tech literacy. Western NGOs call it “radicalization.” Locals call it reclamation.
Even his phrasing is loaded: “We were colonized through ideas. Now we decolonize with knowledge.”
But it’s a long war. Teacher shortages, funding gaps, and foreign propaganda campaigns are real threats. The West isn’t retreating quietly—it’s simply shifting tactics.
V. Austerity as Identity: The Soldier-President
No limousines. No villas. No diamond-encrusted watches. Traoré still wears fatigues. Drives himself. Sleeps in army barracks. Refuses a presidential salary.
This aesthetic is intentional: it evokes Thomas Sankara, a revolutionary icon the West assassinated with bullets—and propaganda. Traoré’s rejection of opulence is a direct rebuke to Western narratives of African corruption. His people call him "Comrade Captain." The West calls him a populist strongman.
Both may be right.
VI. The Real Threat to the West: Ideas, Not Arms
Traoré’s revolution terrifies the West. But not because of weapons. Because of ideas.
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What if other nations reject IMF loans?
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What if African universities teach African epistemology?
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What if raw materials are processed locally, not shipped to France or China?
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What if Africa no longer asks for permission?
This isn't about Burkina Faso alone—it's about breaking the cycle of controlled chaos that has kept Africa in the dark for decades.
The West’s response? Sanctions. Smears. Exclusion from aid agreements. But every attack only strengthens Traoré’s case: that sovereignty is punished by the very forces that preach democracy.
VII. A Continent Remembers
Traoré is not inventing something new. He’s resurrecting a suppressed past:
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Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of a United States of Africa.
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Muammar Gaddafi’s call for a gold-backed African currency.
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Thomas Sankara’s war on imperialism.
Most were silenced by bullets, coups, and carefully curated narratives. Traoré, armed with viral videos, AI-powered messaging, and continental alliances, may be harder to erase.
And now, across Africa, the Sahel is stirring. From Mali’s anti-French uprisings to Niger’s military rebirth to Ghana’s youth movements, the Alliance of Sahel States could evolve into a political and economic bloc freed from the Franco-American chokehold.
VIII. The Risks of Revolution
But make no mistake: Traoré’s path is perilous.
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Foreign interference is likely to intensify—through mercenaries, NGOs, media narratives, or economic sabotage.
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Internal corruption could re-emerge.
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Russia, Turkey, and Iran may become new puppet-masters, trading one yoke for another.
Yet Traoré’s blueprint is clear: Burkina Faso must choose its mistakes—not inherit them.
Current State of Burkina Faso-Pakistan Relations
Historically, Burkina Faso and Pakistan have had limited direct engagement, overshadowed by their respective regional priorities—Burkina Faso’s focus on Sahelian security and Pakistan’s on South Asian geopolitics. However, shared characteristics, such as majority-Muslim populations, histories of anti-colonial struggle, and challenges with terrorism, provide a foundation for cooperation. Recent developments indicate a budding relationship:
Diplomatic Engagement:
- In May 2025, Burkina Faso’s Ambassador-designate to Pakistan, Mohamadi Kabore, met with Pakistan’s Commerce Minister, Jam Kamal Khan, in Islamabad during his first official visit. They agreed to boost bilateral trade and economic ties, with Pakistan inviting a Burkinabé business delegation to a food and agriculture exhibition in Karachi in August 2025.
- Pakistan maintains an embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, focusing on trade, consular services, and cultural exchange. Burkina Faso has established a diplomatic presence in Islamabad, signaling mutual interest in deepening ties.
Trade Relations:
- Trade between the two nations is modest but growing. In 2021, Burkina Faso’s exports to Pakistan were valued at $263,640, while imports from Pakistan reached $5.07 million in 2023, primarily in agricultural goods and textiles.
- Pakistan’s "Engage Africa" policy, launched in 2019, emphasizes economic cooperation with African nations, including Burkina Faso, through trade, capacity-building, and scholarships.
What Pakistan Can Offer Burkina Faso
Pakistan’s strategic position, military expertise, and economic capabilities align well with Burkina Faso’s needs under Traoré’s revolutionary agenda. Here’s what Pakistan can offer:
- Counterterrorism and Military Training:
- Context: Burkina Faso faces a dire jihadist insurgency, with groups controlling nearly 60% of its territory. Traoré has prioritized military reorganization, creating Rapid Intervention Battalions and recruiting Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP).
- Pakistan’s Offer: Pakistan, with the world’s seventh-largest military and extensive experience combating terrorism in Balochistan and the former FATA region, can provide training and intelligence-sharing. Pakistan has trained military personnel from African countries under its Technical Assistance Programme, which could be extended to Burkina Faso’s forces.
- Impact: Such support could bolster Traoré’s counterinsurgency efforts without the neocolonial baggage of Western assistance, aligning with his pivot to non-Western partners like Russia and Turkey.
- Agricultural and Textile Expertise:
- Context: Burkina Faso’s economy relies heavily on agriculture (cotton, livestock) and gold, but it struggles with food security and rural poverty. Traoré’s focus on self-sufficiency requires modernizing agriculture.
- Pakistan’s Offer: Pakistan, a major cotton and textile producer, can share expertise in irrigation, crop diversification, and textile manufacturing. Its participation in African agricultural exhibitions, like the one proposed in Karachi, could facilitate technology transfers and joint ventures.
- Impact: This could enhance Burkina Faso’s agricultural productivity, reduce import dependency, and create jobs, supporting Traoré’s vision of economic sovereignty.
- Educational and Capacity-Building Programs:
- Context: Traoré’s free education policy aims to combat intellectual colonization and build a skilled workforce. Burkina Faso’s literacy rate, at 39.3% in 2018, lags behind Pakistan’s 58%.
- Pakistan’s Offer: Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy has trained 775 diplomats from 52 African countries, and its Technical Assistance Programme has provided 495 scholarships to African students. Extending these to Burkina Faso could support Traoré’s educational revolution.
- Impact: Training Burkinabé students and professionals in fields like engineering, medicine, and governance could empower Traoré’s “generals of thought,” fostering long-term human capital development.
- Trade and Investment Opportunities:
- Context: Traoré’s nationalization of gold mines and push for local processing aim to retain wealth domestically. Burkina Faso’s investment code offers tax breaks to foreign investors, creating opportunities for partnerships.
- Pakistan’s Offer: Pakistan’s semi-industrialized economy, with strengths in textiles, pharmaceuticals, and technology, can invest in Burkina Faso’s mining and manufacturing sectors. Joint ventures in gold processing or textile production could align with Traoré’s local empowerment goals.
- Impact: Increased trade could diversify Burkina Faso’s economy, while Pakistan gains access to African markets, supporting its "Engage Africa" objectives.
- Renewable Energy and Infrastructure:
- Context: Traoré’s investment in electric buses and a locally built electric car reflects a commitment to sustainable development. Burkina Faso’s electricity access rate is only 22%, compared to Pakistan’s 79%.
- Pakistan’s Offer: Pakistan’s experience in renewable energy, particularly solar and hydropower, could support Burkina Faso’s electrification goals. Pakistani firms could collaborate on solar grids or electric vehicle infrastructure, building on Burkina Faso’s mobile money-driven digital economy.
- Impact: Such partnerships could accelerate Burkina Faso’s green transition, aligning with Traoré’s vision of African-designed solutions and reducing reliance on Western tech.
- Diplomatic Support in Multipolar Alliances:
- Context: Traoré’s alignment with the Alliance of Sahel States and non-Western powers like Russia and Iran reflects a rejection of ECOWAS and Western influence.
- Pakistan’s Offer: As a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Pakistan can advocate for Burkina Faso’s interests in these forums, providing diplomatic cover against Western sanctions. Pakistan’s nuanced foreign policy, balancing ties with the U.S., China, and Russia, could guide Burkina Faso in navigating multipolar dynamics.
- Impact: This support could strengthen Burkina Faso’s global standing, particularly within the Global South, amplifying Traoré’s anti-imperialist message.
IX. Conclusion: A New Map of Africa
Burkina Faso’s renaissance is more than a national story. It’s a signal flare in a dark age of global instability.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré is not perfect. But he is purposeful. He has not promised utopia—but has delivered rebellion. And in doing so, he has changed not just a country, but a continent’s imagination.
This is no longer the Africa that waits for saviors. This is the Africa that writes its own history—with gold, grit, and electric cars.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s revolution is not merely a national rebirth—it’s a geopolitical rupture in the fabric of post-colonial Africa. By nationalizing resources, rejecting Bretton Woods institutions, and pivoting towards multipolar alliances with Russia, Turkey, and Iran, Traoré is dismantling the Western monopoly over African sovereignty. His governance model, rooted in ideological resistance and economic nationalism, sets a dangerous precedent for the West and a compelling blueprint for the Global South. As France’s neo-imperial grip crumbles in the Sahel and U.S. influence wanes, Burkina Faso’s trajectory signals the rise of a new African non-aligned movement—assertive, indigenous, and unapologetically sovereign.
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"Traoré isn’t building a nation—he’s reigniting a continent’s memory of what it means to own its land, its future, and its voice." — Zohaib Ahmed
Welcome to the age of sovereign Africa. Traoré didn’t just take power. He redefined what power means.
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