Burkina Faso: soldiers announce the dissolution of the government and the closure of borders – RFI

Published on: 09/30/2022 – 22:14 A group of soldiers announced Friday on national television in Burkina Faso the sidelining of the leader of the junta Paul-Henri Damiba, in power since a coup d’etat in January. The putschist soldiers also announced the dissolution of the government and the Constitution, as well as the closure of the country’s borders until further notice. Article updated with the latest information available. Refresh the pageLieutenant-Colonel Damiba no longer leads the Burkinabè transition. He is replaced by Captain Ibrahim Traoré who takes the head of the MPSR, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration, which had been established during the previous coup last January and which therefore does not change its name. Land and air borders are closed from midnight local time, the Constitution is suspended and the government is dissolved. A curfew is also in place, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. All political and civil society activity is suspended and “the living forces of the nation” will soon be summoned to draft a new transition charter in order to designate a new president, “civilian or military”, specify the putschist soldiers. Red berets and uncovered faces for some, helmets and black masks for others, they claim to want to “pursue the common ideal” of the Burkinabè people, “namely to restore security and the integrity of the territory. The putschists also intend to reassure the international community: Burkina’s commitments will be respected, “especially human rights”, according to the statement read on television. The fate of Lieutenant-Colonel Damiba has not been specified. Reacting to rumors circulating on social networks, a French diplomatic source specifies that the French army does not guard or protect him anywhere. This statement by the putschist soldiers clarifies the situation after a long day of uncertainty: the first shots had heard around 4 a.m. and the presidential district had been cordoned off ever since. The presidency and the government spokesperson had tried to reassure by evoking simple financial demands within the army, but the announced “talks” did indeed lead to the fall of the regime. Burkinabe soldiers deployed in the capital Ouagadougou, September 30, 2022. AFP – OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT ► To read also: Burkina Faso: look back on a confused day in Ouagadougou marked by the discontent of soldiers