The Complete Story
Read more- Burkina Faso, a former French territory in West Africa, has been afflicted by continuous instability since independence in 1960, including several coups.
- The country’s name, which translates as “land of the honest men,” was chosen by revolutionary military leader Thomas Sankara, who took control in 1983. He was toppled and killed in 1987 by a coup led by Blaise Compaoré, who then became president and ruled the country until his removal in 2014.
- In 2015, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was elected president in the general elections and re-elected again in 2020 for a second term.
- Burkina Faso has been severely impacted by the growth of Islamist terror since 2015. The nation has faced an Islamist insurgency that has spread from neighbouring Mali and Niger. More than a million people have been displaced across the country. This has sparked outrage among the military and civilians and wreaked havoc on the once-thriving tourism industry.
- Burkina Faso’s army stated on January 24th, 2022 that it had overthrown the civilian-elected government and its President, Roch Marc Kaboré. The military cited the reason being Kaboré’s government’s inability to unify the West African nation and respond to challenges, including an Islamist insurgency that has generated turmoil in the country.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was declared “President.
- The United Nations, the African Union, the United States, and France condemned this military coup in Africa.
- After eight months, the country is now witnessing another military coup, with a new self-proclaimed leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore taking power amid frustration that Damiba’s government has not been able to stop extremist attacks.
- But the latest coup has raised fears that the country’s political chaos could deepen the region’s Islamic extremist violence, diverting the military’s attention from the crisis.
- Meanwhile, Russia has expressed support for the coup just as western powers and regional neighbors condemned it.
Source: TH