Burkina Faso’s new military leader Ibrahim Traore is escorted by soldiers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, October 2, 2022
Mon 02 January 2023:
Burkina Faso has been removed from the US’s trade preference program due to serious concerns regarding a “unconstitutional change” in the country’s administration, according to the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office
Two military coups in Burkina Faso occurred in 2022 as a result of frustration with the government’s inability to stop armed group activities. Although efforts to increase security have been undertaken by both the previous and current military governments, the attacks have continued.
BURKINA FASO GOVERNMENT SUSPENDS BROADCAST OF FRENCH RADIO RFI
Sub-Saharan African countries are eligible for duty-free entry to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) if they meet certain criteria, including making progress toward political pluralism.
The USTR’s office said Burkina Faso had failed to meet the requirements of the AGOA statute and would be given “clear benchmarks” for a pathway towards reinstatement to the trade programme, adding that Washington would work with Ouagadougou.
On Monday, the Burkinabe Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the decision by repeating a November statement saying the timetable for a return to democracy had not changed.
BURKINA FASO: IN THE SECOND COUP OF THE YEAR, MILITARY OFFICERS REMOVE PRESIDENT DAMIBA
Burkina Faso had committed to returning to constitutional rule in 24 months in a July agreement with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS.
Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been in the grip of a conflict in which armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) have killed thousands of civilians and created one of the continent’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises.
Nearly two million people have been displaced who reside in makeshift camps, many run by the United Nations, that dot the arid countryside.
The violence, which has rumbled on for about seven years, has been focused in the north and east, crippling local economies, causing mass hunger, and restricting access to aid organisations.
INSURGENTS KILLED DOZENS OF SOLDIERS IN MALI AND BURKINA FASO
A senior UN diplomat was asked to leave Burkina Faso by the military regime just before Christmas. The UN disputed the ruling, claiming that “the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations officials”.
Although the government did not provide an explanation at the time, its foreign minister later charged Barbara Manzi with misleading the country’s security situation.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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