Enlarge image
Ouagadougou after the coup
Photo: OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP
After Mali, a conflict with consequences for the European Union (EU) is also looming in the next country in the Sahel: Putschists have taken power in Burkina Faso. Now the EU has announced a determined response to the military coup. "If the constitutional order is not restored, this will have direct consequences for our partnership with the country," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The EU condemns the coup and calls for the immediate release of President-elect Roch Kaboré and all others unlawfully arrested.
Possible punitive measures by the EU against the West African country include a reduction in development cooperation and financial support.
In addition, sanctions such as EU entry bans could be issued against the people involved in the coup.
The EU recently promised the country support of 350 million euros through the so-called Team Europe initiative alone.
During the coup, mutinous soldiers overthrew the controversial President Kaboré on Monday and took power.
The government and the National Assembly were dissolved, and the country's borders were closed for the time being.
A night curfew was also imposed.
The putschists left open how and when the country's 21 million residents could expect a return to democracy.
"Very disturbing"
French President Emmanuel Macron had also 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.
Burkina Faso is in a serious crisis, mainly because of increasing Islamist terror in the Sahel.
Many militias operate in the region, some of which have sworn allegiance to the so-called Islamic State (IS) or the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda.
Protracted droughts and famines also make things difficult for the country, which is impoverished despite rich gold deposits.
mrc/dpa