Coup: Burkina Faso military officer says president is evicted

Burkina Faso Army Captain Ibrahim Traore announced Friday evening that the country’s president, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was evicted.

Heading a group of military officers, Traore declared in a broadcast statement the suspension of the constitution and of the charter of the transition, the dissolution of the government of transition, and a curfew from 9 p.m to 5 a.m.

He also announced closure of the country’s borders until further notice, and suspension of activities of political parties as well as of civil society organizations.

Traore said he would convene all forces of the country to elaborate a new charter and to appoint a military or civilian president for Burkina Faso.

Gunshots were heard in Ouagadougou Friday morning, and access to the presidential palace, the public television and certain strategic points in the city were blocked by soldiers.

Shortly afterwards, the Burkina Faso presidency issued a statement calling on people to remain calm and saying negotiations were underway to restore “calm and serenity.”

Damiba’s whereabouts were unknown on Friday evening.

Traore said a group of officers who helped Damiba seize power in January had decided to remove their leader due to his inability to deal with the Islamists. Damiba ousted former President Roch Kabore for the same reason.

Burkina Faso has become the epicentre of violence carried out by groups linked to al Qaeda and Daesh that began in neighbouring Mali in 2012 and has spread to other West African countries south of the Sahara Desert.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Burkina Faso after the January coup but had since agreed to a two-year transition back to democratic elections.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK