The Burkina Faso military took control of the country Monday, announcing that it has deposed the nation's president, Roch Kabore, and dissolved the government and parliament. The military said it has also suspended the constitution and shut down the country's borders.
Captain Sidsore Kader Ouedraogo made the announcement on state television, proclaiming that the military has now seized power. He said the coup was in response to the country's continued "degradation" and the inability of the government to run the nation properly.
The military declared Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba as the country's new leader. The senior military officer was recently promoted as the commander of Burkina Faso's third military region. Damiba was educated in Paris and is an author of a book about West African politics.
The military did not say if they had arrested Kabore or where is being held. The deposed president has not been seen in public since a riot broke out inside the presidential palace in Ouagadougou over the weekend.
On Monday, a post was published on Kabore's Twitter account. The post asked those that were taking up arms against the government to engage in talks. It encouraged them to lower their arms as violence would not be the best way to resolve "contradictions."
A source within the military claimed that Kabore was arrested on Monday and taken to a military base. He was arrested house before the military stormed the presidential palace. Kabore reportedly signed a resignation letter and is safe and unharmed.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concerns over the safety of President Kabore, stating that the organization is closely monitoring the situation in Burkina Faso.
The Economic Community for West Africa States (ECOWAS) also expressed the same concerns, adding that it would be closely watching the political and security situation. ECOWAS called on the military to engage in dialogue to resolve the issue.
A military official said they have been planning for the coup since August. They reportedly planned the coup through encrypted messaging apps and secret meeting help outside the nation's capital. Military officials were reportedly unhappy with how the government has been handling the terrorist attacks in the country, believing that the nation would be better off under military rule.
Burkina Faso has been ravaged by violence related to the Islamic State and al Qaeda. Terrorist attacks have killed thousands and displaced 1.5 million people. The military has been particularly heavily affected; in the Sahel, at least 50 security forces were killed last month.
For weeks, anger has been building across the country. The coup takes place just one day after a demonstration in the capital calling for the president's resignation.
