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Earlier this week, the military confirmed ousting President Kaboré, suspending the constitution, dissolving the government, and closing the nation’s borders.
In less than 2 years, West Africa has witnessed a total of 4 coups. This week, hundreds of people flocked to Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, in support of the recent army coup that has been condemned by both the UN and France.
Over the years, al-Qaeda and Islamist groups have killed thousands of people and attacked the military camps. According to a statement by the military, the president’s removal was a result of his failure to fully support the country’s army against the militants.
“We’ve made this decision solely to put our country back on the right track, and to bring our forces together to fight for the territorial integrity of our country,” a statement signed by the coup leader Lt Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba read.
The military described the president as failing to unite the country and responding to challenges affecting its citizens. There has been political unrest for months with anti-government protests calling for the resignation of the president.
According to the UN estimations, over 1.5 million people have been internally displaced since 2015 militant attacks to date and over 2,000 lives lost. Last year, two major separate attacks killed more than 50 army officers at a camp and more than 100 civilians lost their lives in the northern part of the country.
