Newsreel: Another coup in Burkina Faso. But there are some differences from the situation in Burkina. Mr Kabor was elected in November 2015, in the wake of a people-power revolution that had turfed out the previous authoritarian regime. The resignation appeared to end two days of tensions in the capital, Ouagadougou, between factions loyal to Colonel Damiba and the man who has now replaced him, Capt. The trouble soon spread to other bases. There was no mention of Mr. Kabors whereabouts and no indication that he had agreed to step down. Among those allies is Gen. Gilbert Diendr, who in 2015 led a failed coup against a transitional government. The relentless reports of Islamist attacks fuelling popular anger on urban streets and resentment among soldiers who feel they are being sent out, too lightly armed, underpaid or even under-fed, to sustain the struggle against militant groups that take no prisoners. But in reality, the news of one murderous attack after another, claiming the lives of villagers, local security volunteers or soldiers and gendarmes, fuels a mood of fear and perhaps almost helplessness that can undermine army loyalties anyway. Halla Mohieddeen: There is historical baggage with France, but it also looks like theres a couple of other major players who are looking for influence. VideoSolving the air-con conundrum, Fury in The Gambia over India cough syrup deaths, Chicken, chips and Zimbabwe's taste for democracy, 'Girl power!' Why West Africa has had so many coups and how to prevent more Flickr Halla Mohieddeen: So whats the plan here? The officer was one of many presidential guard members integrated into the regular army, and his star kept rising until his promotion last November. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) More than a dozen members of Burkina Faso's army seized control of state television late Friday, declaring that the country's coup leader-turned-president . West Africa's latest successful coup, in Burkina Faso on 24 January 2022, has . "This is nonsense . In a post on Facebook before his ouster, Mr. Damiba said there had been a change in mood among certain elements of the national armed forces.. Two coups dtat in 9 months mark the latest inflection point in Burkina Fasos political instability, causing heightened uncertainty as the country faces an escalating militant Islamist threat. Halla Mohieddeen: From the outside looking in, two coups in such a short space of time might seem hard to comprehend. By The Numbers: Coups in Africa VOA Special Report Its his fault.. Rather than being representative of the population, those participating in the transitional government serve only Traor and the junta. In 2014, two generations of U.S.-educated officers faced off in the Gambia as a group of American-trained would-be coup-makersattempted(but failed) to overthrow anotherU.S.-trainedcoup-maker, Yahya Jammeh who had seized power back in 1994. Usually when that happens, people wake up, they start calling each other. The act of mutiny in Mali is strongly condemned and inconsistent with U.S. military training and education, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Anton T. Semelroth, a Pentagon spokesperson, said at the time. The charter also outlines the size and shape of the government during the transition, exhibiting a decidedly pro-junta configuration: By design, the 16 security and defense forces plus the 20 appointed by Traor comprise a one-seat majority at 36 members. On Sunday, soldiers seized several military bases and the riot police clashed with civilian protesters. This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Negin Owliaei, Ruby Zaman, Amy Walters, Chloe K. Li, Alexandra Locke, and me, Halla Mohieddeen. That left Sudan with no civilian government to help steer a country that is only just emerging from a dictatorship that lasted three decades. And over the past three years the spiral of insecurity has felt as if it is accelerating - particularly in Burkina Faso, where the pattern of indiscriminate attacks on both civilians and security forces outposts has spread rapidly southwards from more remote border areas to impact communities ever closer to Ouagadougou. Saturday, 19th August 2023 . The Damiba era is over, wrote one, Alphonse Marie Guissou. And put them in an African context. Some coup leaders have had close . Troops in Ouagadougou on Friday. Halla Mohieddeen: So what are the conditions that have led to two coups in eight months? Members of the military announcing the takeover on state television on Monday. Two coups in a year in Burkina Faso: what you need to know - TRT World But according to Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, whos been covering West Africa for almost a decade, for the Burkinabe people, it was a bit more predictable. Yacouba: The security situation in Burkina Faso is not improving at all. And Ive seen this in Mali and now in Burkina Faso. Security is tenuous in the West African nation, where extremists, vigilantes and soldiers have all killed civilians in recent years. But in May 2021 they staged a second takeover to reassert control over the transition and later set out plans to stay in power for almost five more years. Something Nic says is getting lost in a lot of the coverage about the country. On September 30, Captain Ibrahim Traore led a coup to become Burkina Fasos new leader, deposing Paul Henri-Damiba, who had only come to power in January through his own coup. In 2010 and 2020, he participated in an annual special operations training program known as the Flintlock exercise. Traor dismissed Damibas transitional government and legislature and suspended the constitution, placing all power in himself and his junta. Nicolas Haque: Captain Ibrahim Traore, is in his 30s. 1.8K 179K views 4 months ago #IbrahimTraore #BurkinaFaso #Coup In West Africa, Burkina Faso's leader, Paul-Henri Damiba, has been ousted in a military coup. And Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeeras head of audio. West African bloc says it is ready for 'D-day' intervention in Niger Spotlight Understanding Burkina Faso's Latest Coup By the Africa Center for Strategic Studies October 28, 2022 Two coups d'tat in 9 months mark the latest inflection point in Burkina Faso's political instability, causing heightened uncertainty as the country faces an escalating militant Islamist threat. Violence caused by bandits, vigilantes and terrorists who claim to be affiliated with Al Qaeda or the Islamic State and military abuses has left thousands dead and more than a million displaced. As many other African countries have done, Burkina Faso's government has implemented internet shutdowns and social media blackouts to curtail popular protests. Within the military, trust is broken between soldiers and the civilians that theyre meant to protect. So, what are the conditions that allowed for the West African nation to face two coups in just eight months? U.S. WORLD. Our country is going through a difficult time, he wrote, urging mutinying soldiers to lay down their arms. In Burkina Faso the first sign was gunfire echoing from army bases in Ouagadougou, the capital, on January 23rd. President Maurice Yamogo, in power since independence, was replaced by Chief of Staff Aboubakar. And thats why theres a level of desperation to try to seek alternatives from France. So the Central African Republic is rich in diamonds and gold. How easy is it to steal treasures from a museum? Naval War College and Jesse Savage of Trinity College Dublin in theJournal of Peace Research, analyzing data from 1970 to 2009,founda robust relationship between U.S. training of foreign militaries and military-backed coup attempts despite the authors limiting their analysis to the International Military Education and Training program which explicitly focuses on promoting norms of civilian control.. In 2011, when a U.S.-backed uprising in Libya toppled autocrat Muammar Gaddafi, Tuareg fighters in his service looted the regimes weapons caches, traveled to their native Mali and began to take over the northern part of that country. Colonel Damiba was trained at the Military School of Paris, and last year published a book titled West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Responses? A blurb posted online says that he has endured the harsh reality and experienced the evolution of armed violent extremism.. Trust is broken. Right now, theyre holding a siege over the town of Djibo. In a statement, Secretary-General Antnio Guterres called on leaders of the coup to lay down their arms and to ensure the protection of the physical integrity of the president and the institutions of Burkina Faso., Mr. Guterres said he was particularly worried about the whereabouts and safety of President Roch Marc Christian Kabor, as well as the worsening security situation.. And his first visit was Burkina Faso. It called for a civilian-led transition, stating that: Traors actions since taking power reveal little strategic planning beyond installing himself as president and further entrenching military rule in a country that is still emerging from the 27-year military-turned-authoritarian government of Blaise Compaor, which was finally forced from power in 2014. The remarks mirrored the rhetoric in neighboring Mali, which the French military quit last month after nine years fighting Islamist militants. He said, Russia is back in Africa. 12 members from political parties (4 from the former majority, 4 from the former opposition, 2 from the unaffiliated opposition, and 2 from other parties). No, the government insisted. Young people, in particular, had lost faith in the president as unceasing attacks by Islamist militants killed thousands and displaced more than a million of their fellow citizens. And for these past seven years, we have been struggling. Its name means the land of upright people.. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso The military announced Monday that it had seized power in Burkina Faso, suspending the Constitution and ousting the countrys democratically elected president hours after mutinous soldiers surrounded his home. constitution of France. U.N. and African leaders condemned the coup. Burkina Faso army officers declare countercoup | PBS NewsHour But the military junta in neighboring Mali has survived despite many such statements from the organization, which is increasingly seen as weak and an advocate for the interests of incumbents, including many who have sought to cling to power. Photo: Olympia de Maismont/AFP via Getty Images. Beside him sat a camouflage-clad man whom he introduced as Burkina Fasos new leader: Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the commander of one of the countrys three military regions. After rumblings of military discontent over recent weeks, soldiers in key bases in the capital finally mutinied on Sunday, unrest that by late the next day had developed into a full-scale coup. Burkina Faso is a country that is rich in minerals, and the Wagner Group has been trying to get in and to help the government there, but have not managed to do so, at least until now. On the same day, the African Union suspended Burkina Faso and placed sanctions on the coup leaders. Some in Burkina Faso have welcomed the military takeover, Some in Burkina Faso want Russian forces to replace the French - as they have in Mali, About 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Burkina Faso because of the insurgency. And he went there not to meet the president per se, but to have a town hall meeting with young students from the University in Burkina Faso. Although the French have no such presence in Burkina Faso, criticism of the former colonizers has spread throughout the arid region known as the Sahel, much of which has been destabilized in recent years by extremist groups tapping into local grievances. But across the region, many respond that it is not possible to tackle economic and social challenges without providing security first. LIVE TV. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum has launched a major drive to persuade villagers to return to the home areas from which they had fled because of the violence, but supported now with a reinforced military presence, and the restoration of local public services and development programmes. Then-Col. Maj. Gilbert Diendr addresses Burkinabe soldiers prior to their deployment to Mali in support of AFRICOMs Flintlock 10 exercise in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on May 1, 2010. Earlier this month, at least 35 civilians were killed after a convoy of vehicles hit a roadside bomb. Millions of citizens in West Africa, the focus of a recent rash of coups and coup attempts, have become familiar with such seizures of power. He now lives in Dakar, Senegal. In June, armed assailants killed more than 100 people in an attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, burning houses and leaving many more injured in one of the deadliest assaults the West African nation had seen in years. The turmoil came just eight months after the military seized power in another coup as the country was convulsed by widespread anger at the governments failure to stop attacks on civilians from violent extremists and to stem rising economic hardship. Weve seen attacks in Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast. Nicodeme Natama, an office worker who lives in the capital near a military base called Camp Baba Sy, said that he heard an explosion around 4 a.m., thinking at first that it was a rainstorm. In September, members of Doumbouyas unit took time out from their ongoing instruction in small unit tactics, tactical combat casualty care, and the law of armed conflict to storm the presidential palace and depose the countrys 83-year-old president, Alpha Cond. We have been facing terrorism for the past seven years. The leader of a coup in Burkina Faso is the latest in a line of U.S.-trained soldiers who overturned civilian leaders. But that year, militant groups launched a violent campaign as part of a broader upheaval in the Sahel, the vast stretch of land just south of the Sahara. France has no heightened presence in Burkina Faso unlike in Mali, where in August it ended a nine-year military operation that failed to stop an Islamist insurgency and there was no reinforced partnership under Colonel Damibas leadership. And mines are easily hidden in the dust of the region's rural roads, imperilling everyday journeys to markets or schools. But the situation changed after a jihadist uprising in Mali that began in 2013 spread to its neighbors, including Burkina Faso. I think that weve perhaps underestimated how savvy and smart, the local fighters from al-Qaeda and ISIL are. By comparison, the. And Im not sure it will be any different this time.. But factions of the military grew frustrated with his handling of a security crisis plaguing the West African nation. Protesters on Saturday outside the French Embassy in Ouagadougou. Halla Mohieddeen: And what about democratic institutions in Burkina Faso? Gota wasnt even the first U.S.-trained Malian officer to overthrow the countrys government. Among the customers at the cellphone market was Anatole Compaor, an unemployed 31-year-old. The authorities have been captured without bloodshed and are being kept in a secure place, the soldier said. Capt. Wagner only acts in countries where there is the interest of Russia. @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Mr. Sankara was 37 when he was killed, and already revered in many African countries for speaking out against the vestiges of colonialism and the impact of Western financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. And theres been attacks around the vicinity of Kaya where Captain Traore has had to come into action. Businesses shuttered in the capital, Ouagadougou, as residents anticipated the inevitable announcement on television by men in uniforms who will most likely declare themselves as the new rulers. In 2020, Col. Assimi Gota, who worked with U.S. Special Operations forces for years, participating in Flintlock training exercises and attending a Joint Special Operations University seminar at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, headed the junta that overthrew Malis government. The hazardous choices of Colonel Damiba have progressively weakened our security, the officer read on television, announcing that the group was suspending the constitution, closing the countrys borders, and setting up an overnight curfew. Data supplied to the BBC by Acled in June compares the 661 days before and after Mali's coup in August 2020, and the 138 days before and after Burkina Faso's coup in January 2022. (Photos: AFP). Why West Africa has had so many coups and how to prevent more The constitution is supreme over any other legal provision whatever the exceptional circumstances, including a coup dtat. THERE have been two coup attempts in sub-Saharan Africa so far this year. Until the members of the transitional legislature are named and the legislative session opened, Traor legislates by decree. [T]here is little evidence that overall [security sector assistance] (measured in dollar terms) associates with coup propensity in Africa, according to the study, which was written for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and did note that there was a marginally significant association in the post-Cold War period. Halla Mohieddeen: And thats the Take. Soldiers in Burkina Faso say a military junta now controls the - NPR Yacouba, a local in Ouagadougou, told us its a situation thats constantly on the minds of the Burkinabe people. More about the crisis in Burkina Faso and its neighbours: Four scientifically-proven ways to live longer. Burkina Faso's January coup followed similar takeovers in Mali and in Guinea, heightening fears of a rollback of . It is easy to feel as if the jihadists are deliberately seeking to foment unrest in Sahelian armies. There are clearly echoes of the 2020 army takeover in Mali. And in some cases, citizens frustrated by government incompetence and corruption, and desperate for change, have urged soldiers to dismantle their own democracies. A coup in Burkina Faso will help the Sahel's jihadists Newsreel: The extremists have reportedly cut off access, and theyre also stopping residents from leaving the town that is also the capital of the Soum province. It provides soldiers, fighters on the ground. Residents woke to the sound of gunfire. Since the 2000s, the United States has regularly deployed small teams of commandos to advise, assist, and accompany local forces, even into battle; provided weapons, equipment, and aircraft; offered many forms of training, including Flintlock, which is conducted by Special Operations Command Africa and focused on enhancing the counterterrorism capabilities of nations in West Africa, including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. Burkina Faso coup: Why soldiers have overthrown President Kabor
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