Burkina Faso coup denounced by EU and AU, as protestors attack French embassy
African Union chief joins regional leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in condemning the removal of military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in a coup – the second in less than a year — as the United Nations has voiced concern about the situation in the country and the European Union denounced the coup.
Burkina Faso’s junta leader Damiba agreed to step down Sunday (October 2) , two days after military officers announced he had been removed from power, religious and community leaders said. Following mediation between Damiba and the new self-proclaimed leader, Ibrahim Traore, “Damiba himself offered his resignation in order to avoid confrontations with serious human and material consequences”, the religious and community leaders said in a statement. This is the second coup since January.
Burkina Faso’s new junta chief Traore, who met with cabinet officials on Sunday following the coup, promised to overhaul the military so it is better prepared to fight “extremists”. He accused Damiba of following the same failed strategies as former President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, whom Damiba overthrew in a January coup. “Far from liberating the occupied territories, the once-peaceful areas have come under terrorist control,” the new military leadership said, adding Damiba failed as more than 40% of the country remained outside government control.
A few hours before events unfolded last Friday (September 30), hundreds of people rallied in the capital, Ouagadougou, seeking Damiba’s departure, the end of France’s military presence in the Sahel and military cooperation with Russia. On Sunday, large groups of protesters took to the streets of Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, attacking the French embassy, burning tires and waving Russian flags. On social media, call-outs from unknown sources encouraged the protesters to take to the streets and prevent France from reversing the military coup. Both the new junta and the French embassy have denied France has any involvement in the coup.
