内容摘要：As pressure continued to ratchet up, he announced his exit from the race on 21 July.

As pressure continued to ratchet up, he announced his exit from the race on 21 July.

As part of what Traoré calls a "revolution" to ensure Burkina Faso benefits from its mineral wealth, the junta is also building a gold refinery and establishing national gold reserves for the first time in the nation's history.However, Western-owned firms appear to be facing a tough time, with Australia-headquartered Sarama Resources launching arbitration proceedings against Burkina Faso in late 2024

The junta has also nationalised two gold mines previously owned by a London-listed firm, and said last month that it planned to take control of more foreign-owned mines.Enoch Randy Aikins, a researcher at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, told the BBC that Traoré's radical reforms had increased his popularity in Africa."He is now arguably Africa's most popular, if not favourite, president," Mr Aikins said.

His popularity has been fuelled through social media, including many misleading posts intended to bolster his revolutionary image.Justin Bieber and Beyoncé are seen immortalising him through song - though they have done nothing of the sort.

Ms Ochieng said that Traoré first caught the attention of Africans when he spoke at the Russia-Africa summit in 2023, telling African leaders to "stop behaving like puppets who dance every time the imperialists pull the strings".

This speech was heavily publicised by Russian media, which has become a major player in promoting Traoré's pan-Africanist image.The site could operate safely despite being within a flood risk area, he said, and there could be "locally significant" benefits in terms of jobs and a boost to the economy.

Full planning permission would only be granted if Flamingo Land and the park authority came to a legal agreement.There are 26 weeks for this agreement to be reached - and if it is not, the reporter will reconsider whether to approve or reject the application.

Dr Heather Reid, convener of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park authority board, said the board would now take time to consider the implications of the report.She added: "We stand by the reasons for the board's unanimous decision to refuse this planning application and it is deeply disappointing that the reporter has taken a different view."