People in Burkina Faso on Tuesday, awoke to a new military-led junta after mutinous soldiers ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and seized control of the country.
Days of gunfire and uncertainty in the capital, Ouagadougou, ended Monday evening when more than a dozen soldiers on state media declared that the country is being run by their new organization, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration.
Many residents of the capital appeared pleased by the coup and celebrations were planned for Tuesday, but regional African leaders and international bodies condemned the military takeover.
The coup comes after months of growing frustration at the Kabore government’s inability to stem a jihadist insurgency that’s wracked the country, killing thousands and displacing 1.5 million people.
However, it’s unclear what might change under the new junta, as the ill-equipped military has struggled to battle the jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
While not much is known about the new leaders, they appear young and are said to be within the higher ranks of the lower level tier of officers. The new apparent leader, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, is a published author in his early 40s and was recently promoted by Kabore.
Meanwhile, the international community has condemned the takeover. The West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, demanded that the soldiers return to their barracks and urged dialogue with the authorities to resolve the issues.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on coup leaders to put down their arms.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
