Burkina Faso’s ousted coup leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba resigned his position as interim president and leader of the MPSR junta that brought him to power on January 24, 2022.
He subsequently flew out of the country for Togo Sunday two days after he himself was overthrown in a coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traore.
Damiba’s departure was confirmed by two diplomats who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. It was not known whether Togo was his final destination, the Associated Press, AP, said in a report.
Mediating religious leaders confirmed on Sunday that Damiba offered his resignation on seven conditions, all of which were accepted by the new leadership, a key condition being that his security and that of his close allies will be guaranteed.
At a meeting with heads of government, the new leader said there was the need to speed up saving the country. "We must do in three months what should be done in twelve months," he declared when he met secretaries of ministries.
Captain Ibrahim Traore, the new military ruler of Burkina Faso, appeared on TV after driving through parts of the capital Ouagadougou with heavily armed guards on Sunday, October 2.
In a TV address read by a spokesman whiles he stood to the left, Traore assured the population that the situation in the country was under control, he also asked people to go about their daily activities and stay off violence and vandalism.
The junta representative Capt. Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho called on people to “desist from any act of violence and vandalism” especially those against the French Embassy or the French military base.
His comments come on the back of violent attacks against the French Embassy in Ouagadougou which photos and videos had gone viral on October 1.
Reports indicate the French businesses have also not been spared as well as a French Institute in Bobo-Dioulasso and also the French military base - the base, it was alleged, by an army spokesperson was accommodating the ousted leader.
The French Foreign Affairs Ministry, however, issued a firm condemnation of the violent acts and dismissed the allegation of sheltering the ousted leader at their base neither at any facility.
ECOWAS and the African Union, AU, have sternly rejected the unconstitutional power grab and called for a return to the roadmap towards a civilian transition by 2024.
The underlying reasons for the takeover of September 30 was the increasing deterioration of security across the country.
The same reason was advanced by Damiba in January when he deposed democratically-elected Christian Roch Marc Kabore before the birth of the MPSR.
Damiba according to the Associated Press gave seven conditions before accepting to resign but has flown to Togo as of October 2.
TWI NEWS
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