After unrest and rumors of a coup in Burkina Faso, incumbent President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba called for calm. In a statement published by his office, there is also talk of a “disgruntlement among certain parts of the military.” Since early Friday morning shots have been heard in the capital Ouagadougou and streets in the government district have been blocked by the military.
According to Damiba’s statement, talks are being held to create “calm and serenity”. “The enemy that is attacking our country only wants the division between the Burkinabe to exert its destabilizing effect,” it says. Damiba did not give any more detailed information about which “enemy” it should be.
President Paul-Henri Damiba visits soldiers in Djibo
After the unrest, rumors of another coup in the West African country made the rounds. There have been repeated reports of dissatisfaction in the ranks of the military in recent weeks.
At a demonstration on Friday afternoon, participants criticized Damiba’s cooperation with France, waved Russian flags and, according to local media reports, called for his resignation.
Military at strategically important points in the capital Ouagadougou
“The situation is currently completely unclear. It could be a new coup d’etat. But it could also be that the current military government remains in power,” says Ulf Laessing, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Sahel regional program at Deutsche Welle. The Federal Foreign Office updated its travel and safety information and warned of a continued tense overall situation and possible short-term deterioration.
Jihadists are spreading
“Jihadists who originally came from the north, even before that from Mali, have now spread throughout the country,” says Laessing. Outside of the country’s two major cities, the situation is actually almost out of control. The state has little to say about it.
Burkina Faso in West Africa
The current military government in Burkina Faso only seized power at the end of January on the grounds that deposed President Roch Kaboré had done too little for security in the country. However, the situation has not improved since then. At least 11 soldiers were killed in an attack on a convoy on Monday.
nob/rb (epd, Deutsche Welle)
