The international community condemns the coup and calls for dialogue
MADRID, 24 (EUROPE PRESS)
The Armed Forces of Burkina Faso announced on Monday the dismissal of the country’s president, Christian Kaboré, and his replacement by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.
The announcement includes the suspension of the Constitution, the dissolution of the Government and the National Assembly of Burkina Faso, as well as the closure of land and air borders.
The statement is signed by Damiba, self-proclaimed president of the Patriotic Movement for Salvation and Restoration (MPSR), until now unknown, and was read by another soldier, Captain Sidsore Kaber Ouedraogo, in a live connection broadcast around 5:30 p.m. by the Burkina Faso public television, RTB.
“The MPSR, which includes all the arms of the Armed Forces, has decided today to end President Kaboré’s post” due to the “deterioration” of security and the “manifest inability” and lack of “efficiency” of the hitherto president , explained Ouedraogo.
The text highlights that the seizure of power has been carried out “without shedding blood” and that the detainees are in safe places and announces that it is already preparing a calendar “acceptable for everyone” for the holding of elections.
“In view of the deterioration of the security situation and the manifest inability of the Government of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré to unite the Burkinabe to deal effectively with the situation and in the face of the exasperation of the different social strata of the nation, the Movement Patriotic for Salvation and Restoration has decided to assume its responsibilities before history,” the statement said.
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
On Sunday, information began to spread about the coordinated mutiny of soldiers in various barracks in the country, including the military airport in the capital, Ouagadougou, but the government assured that the situation was under control.
Already on Monday the authorities reported that they had opened negotiations with the mutinous military, who initially demanded more means to fight against the jihadist groups and changes in the leadership of the secret services.
Everything came to a head on Sunday night, after the victory of the Burkinabe team in the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations. The military raided Kaboré’s personal residence in the Patte-d’Oie neighborhood of Ouagadougou, as reported on Monday, shortly before the coup d’état was made official, by the Popular Movement for Progress (MPP), Kaboré’s party .
Two of the vehicles of the Kaboré personal guard have woken up riddled with bullets in the area and traces of blood can be seen on the seats, according to videos recorded by residents of the area and published on social networks. There would be four members of the Kaboré security wounded, according to the Jeune Afrique news portal.
The information is confusing, but it seems that Kaboré himself would have resigned from his post due to the impossibility of reaching a solution. The president spoke on Sunday with leaders such as the French president, Emmanuel Macron; the Ivorian leader, Alassane Ouattara, or the Senegalese president, Macky Sall.
He conveyed his optimism and willingness to reach a negotiated solution to all of them: “We are trying to manage the situation. We have started talks with the mutineers and we hope for a favorable result,” he said.
HIT SUPPORT
Meanwhile, the opposition Patriotic Front for Renewal (FPR) has announced its “unwavering support for the National Armed Forces” and recalled that it had been asking for Kaboré’s resignation since November 2019 due to the “deterioration” of the country.
“Dear compatriots, there are times in life when you have to know how to stay, whatever it takes, in tune with popular aspirations,” the formation said in a statement.
“Incapable of guaranteeing the unity and cohesion of the Burkinabe people in a deeply degraded national situation, the Armed Forces assumed their responsibility by arresting him on the night of January 23-24, 2022,” he noted.
Faced with this situation, the RPF predicts its “unconditional support for any process that ensures the continuity of the State in the current, particularly difficult, conditions of our country.”
INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION
Several voices have already condemned the military coup that has displaced Kaboré, such as the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, who has summoned the military to lay down their arms and has appealed for dialogue.
“The secretary general strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by force of arms. He urges the leaders of the coup to lower their weapons and guarantee the protection of the president and the institutions of Burkina Faso,” said the spokesman for Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric, in a statement.
The EU has also asked the Burkina Faso Army to remain loyal to the constitutional order and democratic institutions of the country. “The EU calls on the security forces to remain faithful to their mission of protecting the population and defending the territory and assert their claims in a non-violent way”, said a statement by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.
Even before the confirmation of the coup, the president of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, highlighted the “very serious situation” in Burkina Faso and “strongly” condemned the “attempted coup “. Thus, he has asked the Burkinabe Army “to strictly comply with its republican vocation, which is the defense of the internal and external security of the country.”
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also condemned the coup attempt, an “extremely serious” event, and has called on the military to return to the barracks.