A Burkina Faso army captain on Friday, September 30, announced the ouster of military leader Paul-Henri Damiba and the suspension of the country’s constitution and transitional charter in a statement read on national television.
Lt Col. Paul-Henri Damiba, a graduate of a Paris military academy with a defense expert certification in management, command, and strategy, overthrew Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré on January 24, 2022, in a military coup d’etat. He pledged a two-year process for returning to democratic governance.
The government of Burkina Faso has been dissolved and its constitution and transitional charter both suspended following a military coup by the Burkina Faso Armed Forces.
Army Captain Ibrahim Traoré said a group of officers had decided to remove Damiba due to his inability to deal with a worsening Islamist insurgency.
He announced that Burkina Faso’s borders were closed indefinitely and that all political and civil society activities were suspended.
Around 15 soldiers in fatigues appeared on the Radio-Television broadcaster shortly before 8 pm local time and read out the statement.
“We have decided to take our responsibilities, driven by a single ideal – the restoration of security and integrity of our territory,” they said.
#Burkina : Le Capitaine Ibrahim Traoré est le nouvel homme fort du Burkina Faso. #BurkinaFasso pic.twitter.com/8QrYI0xAdD
— maliactu (@maliactu) September 30, 2022
Reporting from the capital Ouagadougou shortly after the takeover announcement, FRANCE 24’s Sophie Lamotte said a curfew has been imposed from 9 pm to 5 am local time.
“The streets are very calm and there’s a very strong military presence in the capital, especially surrounding the presidential palace and the telecommunication headquarters,” she said.
Earlier on Friday, gunfire rang out in Ouagadougou and the state broadcaster went off air amid fears of a coup. Soldiers were seen at the city’s main crossroads, especially in the Ouaga 2000 neighborhood, but also outside the state television center.
