BURKINA FASO ARMY SAYS IT HAS SUSPENDED THE CONSTITUTION, DISSOLVED THE GOVERNMENT

Mon 24 January 2022:

Burkina Faso’s army announced that President Roch Kabore had been deposed, that the constitution had been suspended, that the government and national legislature had been dissolved, and that the country’s borders had been blocked.

The takeover had been carried out without violence, according to the declaration, which was signed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and read by another officer on state television on Monday.

The statement was made in the name of a previously unheard of entity, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration or MPSR, its French language acronym.

“MPSR, which includes all sections of the army, has decided to end President Kabore’s post today,” it said.

It cited the deterioration of the security situation and what it described as Kabore’s inability to unite the nation and effectively respond to the challenges it faces.

The army broadcast followed two days of confusion and panic in Ouagadougou’s capital, when heavy shooting erupted at army camps on Sunday, with soldiers seeking additional backup in their fight against armed groups.

On Monday, Kabore’s whereabouts were unclear after loud gunfire was heard overnight in the area surrounding his home.

Kabore’s party had previously stated that he had survived an assassination attempt, but provided no further details.

Prior to the army announcement, the African Union and the West African group ECOWAS also condemned an attempted coup in Burkina Faso, saying the military was responsible for the safety of Kabore.

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