Burkina Faso President Kabore ousted, Army seized power

Burkina Faso's army said that it had ousted President Roch Kabore, suspended the constitution, dissolved the government and the national assembly, and closed the country's borders  after two days of unrest at army camps in the capital. The announcement, signed on Monday by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and read by another officer on state television, said the takeover had been carried out without violence and those detained were in a secure location.The statement was made in the name of a previously unheard of entity, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration or MPSR, according to its French language acronym. “MPSR, which includes all sections of the army, has decided to end President Kabore’s post ,” it said. It cited the deterioration of the security situation and what it described as Kabore’s inability to unite the nation and effectively respond to the challenges it faces. The statement said the MPSR would re-establish “constitutional order” within a “reasonable time”, adding that a nationwide nightly curfew would be enforced.

The army broadcast came after two days of confusion and fear in the capital Ouagadougou. President Kabore’s whereabouts was not immediately known. Earlier, Kabore’s party said he had survived an assassination attempt, but gave no details. Several armoured vehicles belonging to the presidential fleet could be seen near Kabore’s residence on Monday, riddled with bullets. One was spattered with blood. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement that he “strongly condemns any attempted takeover of government by the force of arms”, calling the events a “coup”. The United States said it was “deeply concerned” about developments in Burkina Faso, and urged a swift return to civilian rule. The landlocked country, one of West Africa’s poorest despite being a gold producer, has experienced numerous coups since independence from France in 1960. Kabore, in power since 2015 and re-elected in 2020 – had faced waves of protests in recent months amid frustration about killings of civilians and soldiers by armed groups, some of whom have links to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda.