A coup has occurred in Burkina Faso that led to the ouster of the military ruler Paul-Henri Damiba, who had become president after a military coup in January that ousted democratically elected president Roch MarcKaboré following several days of unrest in the capital Ouagadougou. The military seized control of state television and declared that they had ousted the military ruler and dissolved the government, along with the suspension of the constitution and transitional charter. Immediately after rival officers’ seizing power in a coup, which is the second takeover in eight months for the West African state, Burkina Faso’s ousted military ruler has gone to neighbouring Togo. Though many supported the latest military coup, there remain some concerns.
Of course, there were discontents with the immediate past military ruler, though it remains unclear whether discontents justify the military coup. According to available sources, the military claimed that it had decided to remove the President due to his inability to deal with a worsening militant insurgency. It is notable that many supported the ousted military ruler because of the frustration with the previous elected government for its failure to stem the armed violence that already killed thousands and displaced at least two million. The former president also promised after the January coup to prevent violence, but violence continued unabated and frustration with his leadership has grown in recent months. Moreover, there were some other notable problems including less emphasis on the earlier leader in holding elections.
No doubt, the prevention of armed violence is challenging in Burkina Faso. There are several armed insurgent groups including al-Qaeda and ISIL, which have contributed to the rise in the wave of violence since 2015. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent months. According to available sources, including the Guardian, at least 11 soldiers were killed and 50 civilians went missing earlier this week after a supply convoy was attacked by gunmen in Gaskinde commune in Soum province in the Sahel, a highly conflicting region, and over one hundred people were killed in a single attack on June 11 this year. Although no armed group claimed the responsibility, it is believed that extreme groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State are behind such attacks.
Though security is a growing concern in Burkina Faso, there are some other challenges. Population displacement is a cause of serious concern in the country. According to available sources, indiscriminate attacks against civilians have led to the displacement of more than a million people as of December 2019. Moreover, there is a proliferation of weapons in different areas. The trafficking and diversion of weapons and ammunition are fuelling the conflict in the Sahel and continue to threaten community safety across the West African region including Burkina Faso, Moreover, there are other notable problems including a lack of access to state security services (as security forces are absent in almost 36 percent of the regions), corruption in government organizations and election volatility.
It is desired that post-coup situations turn out to be normal at the earliest possible time. A security framework, instead of arming civilians, needs to be developed to fight armed groups and prevent violence. Moreover, elections need to be ensured. The earlier military government did nothing mentionable in holding elections, though Damiba said last week that the transition in Burkina Faso would last for almost two more years. Also, the current military ruler has not yet specified when elections will be held. It is further desired that the military ruler gives a timeframe and holds credible elections at the soonest possible time. Of course, the current and potential elected leaders have the responsibility to mitigate other concerns in Burkina Faso, along with preventing armed conflicts.
Of course, there are some other notable challenges including geopolitical challenges in Burkina Faso. According to available sources, Russia and France are engaged in a battle for influence in several former French colonial countries in West and Central Africa including Burkina Faso. It is notable that several French institutions were attacked based on the information that the ouster ruler took shelter there. Thus, the current military ruler, rendered to be aligned with Russia, needs to maintain a good relationship with the geopolitical players, not only for preventing armed violence but also for addressing other security concerns. But cooperation from both Russia and France is also important for controlling violence and holding elections.
