Coup in Burkina Faso - what role does Russia play?

Created: 03/10/2022, 18:18

Young men shout slogans against the power of Lt. Col. Damiba, against France and wave a Russian flag.

The incumbent president in West Africa's Burkina Faso was deposed in a military coup.

© Sophie Garcia/dpa

In the West African country of Burkina Faso, there was a military coup for the second time in a year.

The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner welcomed the renewed change of power.

Ouagadougou - As the world's attention turns to the Ukraine war, the West African country of Burkina Faso, which has a population of around 20 million, staged its second coup in a year on Friday (September 30).

The rebellious military read a statement on national television in the capital Ouagadougou on Friday evening, according to which the previous head of the military junta, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was relieved of his posts.

Now Ibrahim Traoré is in power, but what does the new incumbent stand for?

And what influence did Vladimir Putin have on the military coup in West Africa?

Burkina Faso: Shots fired at the military junta chief's official residence - rebels want to "revive" the fight against jihadists

The rebels imposed a night curfew on Friday and ordered the country's borders to be closed from midnight.

The government and the transitional parliament were dissolved.

Previously, more soldiers had been seen in the capital and shots were fired at the official headquarters in Ouagadougou. The whereabouts of the ousted junta chief was initially unknown.

On Sunday evening there were reports from diplomatic circles that Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba had fled to neighboring Togo.

Previously, "Damiba himself offered his resignation in order to avoid confrontations with serious (...) consequences," said the country's leading religious and community representatives on Sunday evening.

The new self-proclaimed ruler Ibrahim Traoré finally announced on Sunday evening that he had received the support of the army chiefs to "revive" the fight against the jihadists.

The political situation in the Sahel state has been unstable for years.

Damiba only came to power at the end of January in a coup against elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

The rebels cited "the continuous deterioration in the security situation" in the country as the reason for Damiba's removal from power.

At the beginning of his tenure, Damiba announced that he would make security a priority in a country that had been plagued by jihadist attacks for years, but his government was unable to calm the situation.

Rather, jihadist attacks have increased in recent months.

Among others, the terrorist groups Islamic State and the terrorist network al-Qaeda are active in the country.

In the north of Burkina Faso in particular, attacks by Islamists are frequent.

about 1,

9 million people are therefore on the run.

Once peaceful regions of the country are now "under terrorist control," the rebels said.

According to experts, Burkina Faso controls only 60 percent of its territory.

The head of Burkina Faso's military junta, Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, spoke at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September.

Now he was deposed by a group of military men.

© IMAGO/John Lamparski/ NurPhoto

EU, USA and UN condemn putsch - what influence did Russia have?

The EU expressed concern about the development, as did the US State Department in Washington.

A State Department spokesman called for restraint on all involvement.

The French Foreign Ministry recommended that around 4,000 to 5,000 French people in the country not to leave their homes for the time being.

UN Secretary-General António Guterre said he was "deeply concerned" by developments in Burkina Faso and condemned any attempt to take power by force of arms.

The states of the West African Economic Community (Ecowas) also condemned the takeover of power by the rebellious military “strongly”.

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The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had welcomed the renewed change of power in Burkina Faso, as the British broadcaster BBC reported.

Hundreds of protesters could be seen at Nation Square in Ouagadougou on Friday afternoon, some waving the Russian flag and calling for closer cooperation with Russia.

Moscow's influence has steadily increased in several francophone countries in the region in recent years.

The West accuses the military rulers in Mali of working closely with the notorious Russian mercenary group Wagner.

Experts fear a similar development in Burkina Faso.

Who is the new ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré?

The new ruler, 34-year-old officer Traoré, previously commanded the special unit "Cobra" in the northern region of Kaya, which was deployed there against jihadist militias.

Forces of the Cobra unit are also said to have supported Friday's putsch.

Traoré studied at the University of Ouagadougou, while Damiba received his education in France.

All in all, a critical mood against the former colonial power France has prevailed in Burkina Faso for a long time.

Captain Traoré meanwhile called on the population to remain peaceful.

In particular, he warned against violence and vandalism against French institutions.

Demonstrators attacked the French embassy in the capital Ouagadougou on Saturday.

The former colonial power France immediately condemned the riots.

There have been five coups in West African countries since 2020: twice in Burkina Faso, twice in Mali and once in Guinea.