Military authorities in Burkina Faso have named Gilbert Diendere, a General who served as top military aide to former dictator, Blaise Compaore for three decades, as the leader of a new junta, called National Council for Democracy, after a coup that sacked the West African nation’s interim government.
This is even as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union and United Nations, which jointly chair the International Follow-up and Support Group for the Transition in Burkina Faso, have condemned the abduction by the presidential guards, of the President of Burkina Faso, Michel Kafando, the Prime Minister, Yacouba Zida, and transitional Ministers.
Under Compaore, the new leader, Diendere, played a central role in negotiating the release of Western hostages seized by Islamist groups in the arid Sahel, reports Reuters.
The military had earlier announced the dissolution of the transitional government, a day after personnel from the country’s elite presidential guard unit arrested the interim president and prime minister.
President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Yacouba Zida were detained by soldiers who stormed a cabinet meeting, plunging the poor West African country into chaos and uncertainty.
Protesters took to the streets to protest the military takeover amid reports that 10 people had been shot dead by the presidential guards.
The military’s action came days after a government committee recommended dissolving the elite military unit, an arm that helped Mr. Compaore stay in power for so long.
A spokesperson for the coup leaders, Lt. Col. Mamadou Bamba, said on television that the interim president, Mr. Kafando, had been stripped of his functions and the government dissolved.
“We have put in place a national democracy council tasked with organising democratic and inclusive elections,” he said.
Moumina Cheriff Sy, the speaker of the transitional parliament, called the coup “a blow to the republic and its institutions”.
He called on the larger military to halt a coup by elite unit, and said he would assume leadership until the president was released, Reuters reported.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the coup, and called for the immediate release of the leaders.
The United States also called for the immediate release of the interim president, prime minister.
French President Francois Hollande condemned the coup. He called for the release of the president and prime minister, and the continuation of the electoral process.
The choice of Mr. Diendere as the leader of the military junta is seen by many as the return of Compaore, through the back door.
A communique read by the coup leaders appeared to give boost to that speculation.
The statement said the electoral process was discriminatory and had created “divisions and frustrations amongst the people”, a reference to a policy that barred loyalists of Mr. Compaore and those who backed his tenure elongation bid, from being part of the election.
“The transition has progressively distanced itself from the objectives of refounding our democracy,” the statement said.
The coup leader, Mr. Diendere, however, denied the coup was sponsored by Mr. Compaore. He said he had “no contact” with the former ruler.
“All change of this type can lead to violence. I am conscious of that … everything will be done to avoid violence that could plunge the country into chaos,” Diendere said on France 24 television.
In a joint statement today, ECOWAS, AU and UN strongly condemned what they called the gross violation of the Constitution and the Charter of the Transition and demanded that the defence and security forces submit to the political authorities and in this case, the transition government.
“ECOWAS, African Union and United Nations call for the immediate release of the hostages. They emphatically state that the abductors will answer for their actions and will be held responsible for any physical harm to the President of Burkina Faso, the Prime Minister and other persons being held hostage,” the statement added.
The three organisations reaffirmed their full support to the Transition at this critical time, for the conclusion of its mission with the conduct of elections scheduled to hold on October 11, 2015.
They reiterated their determination, in support of the national authorities, to spare no effort in ensuring the successful completion of the transition process in Burkina Faso. [myad]
