Coup: ECOWAS suspends Burkina Faso, calls for immediate release of ousted President; UN chief welcomes decision
By Cecilia Ologunagba, New York; Ismaila Chafe, Lizzy Okoji, Abuja, Jan. 28, 2022
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Burkina Faso from its governing bodies, following the coup d’etat carried out late Sunday that toppled the democratically elected government of President Roch Kabore.
The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government made the resolution on Friday at the end of its virtual Extraordinary Summit on the situation in Burkina Faso.
From New York, the United States of America (USA), the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, welcomed the suspension of Burkina Faso from ECOWAS over the military coup.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman to the Secretary-General, said this while briefing correspondents on Friday at UN headquarters on the situation in the country.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS Leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, on Friday at the emergency virtual meeting, called for the immediate release of the ousted Burkinabe President, Roch Marc Kabore.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a mutiny, led by Burkina Faso’s new military leader, Lt.-Col. Paul-Henri Damiba, ousted President Kabore on Monday.
The junta, that called itself the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), blamed the detained ousted president for failing to contain worsening violence by Islamist militants.
The resolutions of the ECOWAS Presidents are contained in a communique issued at the end of the virtual summit made available to journalists on Friday.
The ECOWAS Presidents, who strongly condemned the coup d’état, frowned at the resurgence of coup d’états in member countries, adding that ECOWAS will no longer tolerate takeover of power through unconstitutional means.
The communique stated that “the Authority, during deliberations, strongly condemns the coup d’etat and expresses deep concern over the resurgence of military coups in the region.
“Following the coup d’etats in Mali on Aug. 18, 2020, in Guinea on Sept. 5, 2021, and in Burkina Faso on 24 January 2022.
“The coup d’etat in Burkina Faso was organised by obtaining the resignation of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore under duress.
“The Authority reaffirms its resolute commitment to upholding the zero tolerance for acceding power through unconstitutional means as enshrined in the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good governance and decides as follows:
“The leadership demands the immediate release and protection of President Roch Marc Christian KABORE and all the other political detainees;
“They also decide to suspend Burkina Faso from all ECOWAS Institutions; Demands the quick restoration of constitutional order by the militaries and urges them to remain republican by focusing on the role of safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country.
“Instructs the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) to immediately deploy a delegation to Burkina Faso to hold consultations with the military leaders.
“To carry out an assessment of the security situation in the country and submit a report to be reviewed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“The meeting further instructs the Commission to facilitate the deployment of a joint ECOWAS Ministerial Mission to Burkina Faso, led by the Chairperson of Council of Ministers on Jan. 31.
“To assess the political situation and submit their report to the Authority of Heads of State and Government. The United Nations Special Representative to West Africa and Sahel and the African Union will participate in this mission.”
Following reports on the recent developments on the political situations in the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Guinea, the Authority requested the Commission to finalise the on-going revision of the Protocol on Democracy and good governance.
The Authority also decided to convene an Extraordinary Summit on Feb. 3 in Accra, Ghana, to re-examine the situation in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.
The Heads of State and Government took note of the Memorandum on the political situation in Burkina Faso presented by President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou.
They commended the quality of the report and took note of the recommendations contained therein.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Burkinabe army on Jan. 24 arrested the 64-year-old President Marc Kabore and later at night announced that his government had been deposed.
Kabore was elected in 2015 following a popular revolt that forced out strongman Blaise Compaore and he was re-elected in 2020
The coup leader, Lt.-Col. Paul-Henri Damiba, said on Thursday that Burkina Faso would return to constitutional order “when the conditions are right”.
From UN Headquarters in New York, Haq said apart from taking note of the decision of ECOWAS to suspend Burkina Faso, Guterres also welcomed the decision of ECOWAS to deploy a mission of the regional Chiefs of Defence Staff to the country on Saturday, followed by a Ministerial delegation next week.
According to Haq, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, will travel to Burkina Faso over the weekend on a good offices mission.
“Annadif will also join the Ministerial mission along with the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Foreign Minister of Ghana.
“This will take place ahead of a planned ECOWAS Summit in Accra on Feb. 3 to further discuss the situation in the country.
“The secretary-general continues to call for calm, the release of President Roch Marc Kaboré and other officials that have been detained as well as for a return to constitutional order in Burkina Faso,” said the spokesman.
He added that Annadif took part in the special virtual summit on Burkina Faso, organised by ECOWAS, on Friday.
In a Tweet, Annadif said in his remarks at the summit, he had reiterated UN’s condemnation of unconstitutional changes of power and called for a swift and unconditional return to constitutional order in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso’s new military leader, Lt.-Col. Paul-Henri Damiba, who said the West African country would return to constitutional order when conditions are right spoke for the first time on national television since leading the mutiny that ousted President Kabore on Monday.
“When the conditions are right, according to the deadline that our people will define in all sovereignty, I commit to a return to a normal constitutional order,” Damiba said.
The junta said on Monday after seizing power that it would propose a calendar for a return to constitutional order “within a reasonable time frame” but has not elaborated on its plans.
Speaking to State House correspondents on the outcome of the emergency ECOWAS meeting on Friday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said the West African leaders condemned the coup.
He said they also demanded the immediate process of return to constitutional order.
Onyeama further disclosed that the leaders had authorised their Chiefs of Defence Staff to visit Burkina Faso with a view to assess the situation in the troubled country.
He said: “Well, the position is, of course, we condemn the coup and are asking for immediate return to constitutional order, the release of the President and anybody else who’s being detained and to cooperate with ECOWAS and to be part of ECOWAS decisions.
“A decision that the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS Member States should head on Saturday to Burkina Faso to assess the situation from a strategic military angle.
“This will be followed immediately by a visit of a team of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of ECOWAS countries, again, to assess the situation and then report to a meeting of the Heads of States, and then a definitive decision will be taken as to how to proceed,” Onyeama said.
ECOWAS had already imposed sanctions on Mali and Guinea following military takeovers in Aug. 2020 and Sept. 2021, respectively.
