After the military took power: the UN calls for the release of Burkina Faso's president

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Deposed President Kaboré (archive photo)

Photo: Valery Sharifulin / ITAR-TASS / imago images

After mutinous soldiers took power in Burkina Faso, the United Nations called for the immediate release of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

"We urge a speedy return to constitutional order," said a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office on Tuesday.

A group of soldiers had deposed the government and dissolved parliament the day before.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet "deeply regrets the military takeover in Burkina Faso," her spokeswoman said.

During Bachelet's visit in November, the delegation noticed growing frustration and impatience with the deteriorating security situation in the West African country.

Macron condemns "military coup"

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "military coup".

The situation was "very worrying," he said.

"The fight against Islamist terrorism in the region should be a priority," warned the French President.

France is the former colonial power of Burkina Faso and has been supporting local forces with thousands of soldiers in the fight against Islamists for years.

Macron also spoke out in favor of the president's release.

Kaboré was democratically elected, stressed France's head of state.

Kaboré's whereabouts were still unclear on Tuesday.

The state television station RTB published a handwritten letter in which the president declared his resignation “in the overriding interest of the nation”.

The authenticity of the letter could not be verified.

Kaboré was elected head of state in 2015.

He was re-elected five years later, also on the basis of his promise to prioritize the fight against Islamist militias.

However, the ill-equipped Burkinabe armed forces failed to stop the bloodshed.

Since 2015, around 2,000 people have been killed by jihadists in the region and around 1.5 million others have been driven from their homes.

On Monday, a young soldier announced the takeover of power on state television on behalf of a military group calling itself the Patriotic Movement for Protection and Restoration (MPSR). The declaration was signed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who is regarded as the new strongman in the West African country. The military imposed a night curfew. They promised a "return to constitutional order" within a "reasonable time."

Before the curfew began, hundreds of supporters had celebrated the coup on the streets with cheers and whistles.

"It's a victory, a new beginning for the Burkinabe people overthrowing an incompetent regime," one of the participants told AFP.

Another called for the army to "focus on what's important," which is ridding the country "of the terrorist groups that have caused us enough suffering."

asa/AFP