Burkina Faso's Military Announces Constitution Suspended, Government Dissolved After Kabore's Arrest
17:32 GMT 24.01.2022 (Updated: 11:38 GMT 23.11.2022)
© REUTERS / VINCENT BADO
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On Sunday, heavy gunfire was reported in Burkina Faso's capital, following by the arrest of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore by the Burkinabe Armed Forces.
The Burkinabe military announced a complete lockdown of the West African country on Monday and the erasure of the government. The measures included closure of the borders and suspension of the country's constitution, as well as the dissolution of the government, the National Assembly and Kabore's office.
They also announced a curfew from 9pm until 5am across the country.
The statement added that Kabore and the others arrested were in a safe location and that the coup had been bloodless. It added that Kabore had been unable to unite the country in the face of challenges.
The statement was attributed to Lt Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, but read on television by Capt. Sidsore Kaber Ouedraogo.
The military said the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration would work to establish a calendar "acceptable to everyone" for holding new elections, but gave no further details.
#Burkina : Le #MPSR putschiste annonce :
— INFOWAKAT (@infowakat) January 24, 2022
- la fermeture des frontières
-La dissolution du gouvernement
-La dissolution de l'assemblée
-L'instauration d'un couvre-feu de 21h à 05h du matin sur toute l'étendue du territoire pic.twitter.com/RpzYaGhElN
African international institutions, including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have condemned the takeover and called for national dialogue.
In a statement on Monday evening, the US State Department said it was still "too soon" to characterize developments in Burkina Faso, calling it a "fluid situation" and urging all parties to seek dialogue.
It is the second coup in Burkina Faso in seven years, following a 2015 attempt to grab power by Gilbert Diendéré, the former military aide to the longtime Burkinabe ruler Blaise Compaore. However, the coup was quickly defeated by mass protests. Months later, Kabore won national elections, becoming the country's first non-interim president in 49 years not to be connected to the military.
Fury Over Islamist Insurgency
For the past seven years, Ouagadougou has struggled against an insurgency by Muslim extremist groups in the country's north with ties to Daesh* and other terrorist groups which have killed more than 2,000 people and sent 1 million fleeing to safety. The Burkinabe government has worked with French forces under the aegis of Operation Barkhane to fight back, but they have proven unable to make substantial gains and 2021 was one of the deadliest years ever.
In November, a large French convoy on its way to Mali as part of Paris' new, smaller mission in the tri-border region dubbed Task Force Takuba was met by extensive protests across Burkina Faso and Niger. The French shot their way out of several demonstrations.
Kabore fired his entire government in December in an attempt to placate growing discontent, especially among the military, but nonetheless, eight soldiers were arrested earlier this month on charges they planned to "destabilize" the country's institutions.
On Saturday, mass protests in Ouagadougou demanded Kabore resign, although the Associated Press reported that many demonstrators also carried a message of solidarity with neighboring Mali, which has been sanctioned by ECOWAS following a military coup there last year by disgruntled officers as well. Security forces fought with protesters using tear gas, and gunfire was also reported.
The following day, intense gunfire was reported at several military bases around the capital, but Defense Minister Barthelemy Simpore denied a coup was underway or that soldiers had detained Kabore.
Who is Col. Damiba?
Lt Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba has emerged as the head of the military coup and becoming de facto leader of the country after Kabore's arrest and the abolition of his government.
According to Le Nouvel Afrik, Damiba was appointed to a military command in the country's third military region by Kabore in December. He previously held commands in Sahel and North regions between 2015 and 2019.
Damiba has strong links to France, the former colonial ruler of Burkina Faso, and is a graduate of a Paris military academy with a defense expert certification in management, command and strategy.
*A terrorist group banned in many countries.
