In the second coup in a year, Paul-Henri Damiba, the head of the military in Burkina Faso, was overthrown. Army Captain Ibrahim Traore then dissolved the transitional government and suspended the constitution.
Following the second military coup in less than a year, a group of junior army officers overthrew Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the head of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, criticized Burkina Faso's "illegal change of government," an impoverished and restive West African country.
The African Union issued a statement on Saturday calling for the restoration of the constitutional order by July of "at the latest" next year. "The chairwoman requests that all military personnel cease all acts of violence and all threats against the civilian population, civil liberties, and human rights immediately," the statement read.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional organization, had already expressed its "unequivocal opposition" to the coup. The coup was organized at an unfavorable time when the steps were taken to restore the constitutional order, as claimed by ECOWAS.
Burkina Faso has been battling to keep out rebel groups, some of which are connected to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). In a statement posted on social media, ECOWAS reaffirmed its categorical opposition to any attempt to seize or hold onto power through illegal methods.
According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, to combat terrorist organizations and criminal networks functioning in some sections of the nation, Burkina Faso needs peace, stability, and unity.
According to the statement, national stakeholders will soon be called to establish a new transitional charter and choose a new civilian or military president. Earlier Friday, the Burkina Faso administration said the soldier deployments in strategic parts of the capital resulted from an "internal problem" inside the army. In addition, talks were in progress after shots were fired just before daybreak.
Captain Ibrahim Traore, the new military commander, pledged to make changes to the military to equip it better to combat "extremists." He claimed that Damiba had adopted the same unsuccessful tactics as the former president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who Damiba had overthrown in a coup in January.
The once-peaceful areas have been taken over by terrorists, far from being liberated. The new military leadership also noted that Damiba failed because more than 40% of the country was still ungoverned. Damiba's destiny is still a mystery. The new authorities proclaimed the dissolution of the interim administration, suspension of the constitution, and permanent border closures. In addition, a curfew was implemented from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and all political and civil society activities were suspended.
The head of the African Union, Faki, expressed great concern over the rise of unconstitutional coups in West Africa and elsewhere on the continent.
In light of the deteriorating situation, we tried to persuade Damiba to center the transition on the security issue. According to the statement signed by Traore and read out on television by another officer, flanked by a group of soldiers wearing heavy armor and fatigues.
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