Burkina putschists accuse France of helping deposed leader plan counterattack

Damiba "is believed to have taken refuge in the French base at Kamboinsin in order to plan a counter-offensive to stir up trouble in our defence and security forces," they said in a statement read out on national television and signed by Captain Ibrahim Traore, the country's new strongman.   An hour before the televised comments by the military figures, who overthrew Damiba on Friday, the French embassy issued a statement "firmly denying any involvement of the French army in the events of the last few hours". UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by the force of arms and calls on all actors to refrain from violence and seek dialogue," his spokesman said in a statement Saturday.Damiba himself came to power in a coup in January.With much of the Sahel region battling a growing Islamist insurgency, the violence has prompted a series of coups in Mali, Guinea and Chad since 2020. No country was explicitly mentioned but Russia, whose influence is growing in French-speaking Africa, is among the possible partners in question.- Tense -Helicopters hovered above the city and shops that had opened for business in the morning shut their doors. "The chairperson calls upon the military to immediately and totally refrain from any acts of violence or threats to the civilian population, civil liberties, human rights," the AU said in a statement, calling for the restoration of the constitutional order by July 2024.The European Union warned that the latest coup put in danger efforts undertaken to restore constitutional order by July 1, 2024 and called for the new authorities to respect previous agreements. The Economic Community of West African States regional bloc "condemned in the strongest possible terms" the latest seizure of power, calling it "inappropriate."On Friday, pre-dawn gunfire erupted in the dusty and spread-out capital around the presidential palace and culminated in the latest coup.Just before 8:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday, more than a dozen soldiers in fatigues appeared on the state television and radio broadcaster to announce the removal of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba."Damiba failed. Since he came to power, the zones that were peaceful were attacked. He took power but then he betrayed us," Habibata Rouamba, a trader and activist said on Saturday.The new leaders swiftly suspended the constitution, sealed the borders, dissolved the transitional government and legislative assembly and instituted a 9:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew.In the north and east, towns have been blockaded by insurgents who have blown up bridges and attacked supply convoys.Thousands have died and about two million have been displaced by the fighting since 2015 when the insurgency spread to Burkina Faso, which has since become the epicentre of the violence across the Sahel.bur-pid/pvh/yad...

from news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://ift.tt/S21Cikb

October 01, 2022 at 10:28PM
https://ift.tt/C1qgVv0
Damiba "is believed to have taken refuge in the French base at Kamboinsin in order to plan a counter-offensive to stir up trouble in our defence and security forces," they said in a statement read out on national television and signed by Captain Ibrahim Traore, the country's new strongman.   An hour before the televised comments by the military figures, who overthrew Damiba on Friday, the French embassy issued a statement "firmly denying any involvement of the French army in the events of the last few hours". UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by the force of arms and calls on all actors to refrain from violence and seek dialogue," his spokesman said in a statement Saturday.Damiba himself came to power in a coup in January.With much of the Sahel region battling a growing Islamist insurgency, the violence has prompted a series of coups in Mali, Guinea and Chad since 2020. No country was explicitly mentioned but Russia, whose influence is growing in French-speaking Africa, is among the possible partners in question.- Tense -Helicopters hovered above the city and shops that had opened for business in the morning shut their doors. "The chairperson calls upon the military to immediately and totally refrain from any acts of violence or threats to the civilian population, civil liberties, human rights," the AU said in a statement, calling for the restoration of the constitutional order by July 2024.The European Union warned that the latest coup put in danger efforts undertaken to restore constitutional order by July 1, 2024 and called for the new authorities to respect previous agreements. The Economic Community of West African States regional bloc "condemned in the strongest possible terms" the latest seizure of power, calling it "inappropriate."On Friday, pre-dawn gunfire erupted in the dusty and spread-out capital around the presidential palace and culminated in the latest coup.Just before 8:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday, more than a dozen soldiers in fatigues appeared on the state television and radio broadcaster to announce the removal of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba."Damiba failed. Since he came to power, the zones that were peaceful were attacked. He took power but then he betrayed us," Habibata Rouamba, a trader and activist said on Saturday.The new leaders swiftly suspended the constitution, sealed the borders, dissolved the transitional government and legislative assembly and instituted a 9:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew.In the north and east, towns have been blockaded by insurgents who have blown up bridges and attacked supply convoys.Thousands have died and about two million have been displaced by the fighting since 2015 when the insurgency spread to Burkina Faso, which has since become the epicentre of the violence across the Sahel.bur-pid/pvh/yad...