Burkina Faso army ousts President Kabore, suspends constitution in West Africa’s latest coup

African Union and ECOWAS condemn action

Burkina Faso’s army on Monday announced that it had ousted President Roch Kabore, suspended the country’s constitution, dissolved the government and the national assembly and closed the country’s borders.

This was contained in a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and read by another officer on state television.

According to the announcement, the military takeover was carried out without violence and that those detained were at a secure location.

The announcement cited the deterioration of the security situation and “Kabore’s inability to unite the West African nation and effectively respond to challenges it faces, which include an Islamist insurgency”.

The statement was made in the name of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration, or MPSR, its French-language acronym a previously unheard-of entity.

“MPSR, which includes all sections of the army, has decided to end President Kabore’s post today,” it said.

It would be recalled that the military have toppled governments over the past 18 months in Mali and Guinea. The military also took over in Chad last year after President Idriss Deby died fighting rebels on the battlefield in the country’s north. read more

The MPSR said it would propose a calendar for a return to constitutional order “within a reasonable time frame, after consultations with various sections of the nation”.

The army broadcast came after two days of confusion and fear in the capital Ouagadougou, where shooting erupted at army camps on Sunday, with soldiers demanding more support for their fight against Islamist militants.

Kabore’s whereabouts were unknown on Monday after intense gunfire was heard in the area around his residence overnight.

Earlier, Kabore’s party said he had survived an assassination attempt, but gave no details. It also said his personal residence had been sacked.

Before the army statement, the African Union and the West African bloc ECOWAS both condemned what they called an attempted coup in Burkina Faso, saying they held the military responsible for Kabore’s safety.

The landlocked country, one of West Africa’s poorest despite being a gold producer, has experienced numerous coups since independence from France in 1960.

Islamist militants control swathes of Burkina Faso and have forced residents in some areas to abide by their harsh version of Islamic law, while the military’s struggle to quell the insurgency has drained scarce national resources. read more

Kabore had faced waves of protests in recent months amid frustration over killings of civilians and soldiers by militants, some of whom have links to Islamic State and al Qaeda.