Burkina Faso Coup: Deposed military ruler resigns

Burkina Faso’s deposed military ruler, Paul-Henri Damiba, has given conditions for his resignation from government, mediators said in a statement.

According to a statement by mediating religious and community leaders, Mr Damiba “offered his resignation in order to avoid confrontations with serious human and material consequences.”

The West African country last Friday experienced another coup when army captain Ibrahim Traore announced that Mr Damiba had been deposed and his government dissolved, eight months after the latter in a similar coup ousted President Roch Kabore.

Al Jazeera reported the conditions Mr Damiba gave for his resignation to include a guarantee of security for his allies in the military, “a guarantee of his security and rights”, and assurance that those taking power will respect the pledge he gave to West Africa’s regional bloc for a return to civilian rule within two years.

Mr Traore was recognised as the new leader of the country after he agreed to the conditions given.

He will remain in charge “until the swearing-in of the president of Burkina Faso designated by the nation’s active forces” at an unspecified date, Al Jazeera quoted pro-Traore military as saying.

Mr Damiba, according to the Associated Press, left Burkina Faso for Togo on Sunday, although Togo may not be his final destination.

Mr Traore described the ousted leader as a failure while he promised to overhaul the military so it is better prepared to fight “extremists”.

READ ALSO: ECOWAS condemns Burkina Faso coup

“Far from liberating the occupied territories, the once peaceful areas have come under terrorist control,” Al Jazeera quoted the new military leadership as saying, adding that Mr Damiba failed as more than 40 per cent of the country remained outside government control.

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Burkina Faso has faced dire security challenges as rebel groups, including the Islamic State, operate in different parts of the country.

The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have expressed their opposition to coups and sanctioned perpetrators. Sanctions have included travel bans on coup plotters, border closure and financial sanctions.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.