Former Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré has been authorized to leave his country for "
medical reasons
", his first trip abroad since he was overthrown by the military in January, AFP learned on Thursday (August 11th). from those around him and from government sources.
"
After obtaining prior authorization from the military authorities, President Kaboré will travel to the United Arab Emirates for medical reasons
", indicated a member of his entourage, specifying that he will go "
immediately, in the company of his wife
".
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A government source confirmed the information, saying that "
the government has worked diligently to facilitate this trip
" for "
humanitarian reasons
", without giving further details.
"
His state of health has been a little fragile for some time and he must undergo medical examinations for better care
," said an official of his party, the People's Movement for Progress (MPP). ).
The date of his departure has not been specified, but local media say that Roch Marc Christian Kaboré should leave Ouagadougou on Thursday bound for “
Dubai, via Abidjan
”.
Accused of failing to stem the jihadist violence that has undermined Burkina Faso since 2015, former President Kaboré, 65, was overthrown on January 24 by a military junta led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, today transitional president.
First placed under house arrest in a villa in Ouaga 2000, an upscale district of Ouagadougou, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré had been authorized to return to his private home in the Burkinabe capital in early April.
While his supporters felt that he still did not enjoy his freedom, the government assured his side that he had benefited from a "
total liberation
".
In mid-June, Lieutenant-Colonel Damiba had received him to "
defuse the political situation
".
During this first public appearance since April, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré appeared very weak, raising the concerns of his supporters about his state of health.
In early August, he was prevented by his supporters from participating in a meeting organized by the government with other former heads of state, including Blaise Compaoré, in order to "
accelerate national reconciliation
" and find a solution to stem the violence .
jihadist.
