Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore Rejects Opposition Calls To Step Down After Violence

The President of Faso has refused to resign in the face of violent protests that have posed a major threat to his nearly 30 year rule.

Protesters stormed the parliament building and set part of it ablaze in a day of violence around the country to stop a parliamentary vote that would have allowed Compaore to seek a fifth term in office. At least one person was killed and several others were wounded amid the melee, authorities said, and a curfew was put in place from 7pm to 6am. A state of emergency was imposed for several hours but later lifted.


In a concession to the protesters, the government withdrew the bill from consideration. But the move did not placate the protesters, and military leader Traore, the joint chief of staff, later announced that government and parliament had been dissolved and a new, inclusive government would be named.

After hours of confusion about whether Compaore would hold on to power, he spoke briefly on television and radio to stay he was still in charge and would not step down.

‘‘I am available to open discussions with all parties,” he said in a recorded address. The transitional government will include representatives from all sides and work to hold elections within 12 months.

It was unclear if the opposition would agree to join a unity government, and the unrest unleashed on Thursday underscored the threat Compaore now faces as frustrations mount in one of the world’s poorest countries. In a sign of the growing unrest, crowds also attacked the homes of government ministers and looted shops in the country’s second-largest city, Dioulasso, witnesses said.

“It is over for the regime!” and “We do not want him again!” shouted demonstrators when they heard that the vote on term limits had been stopped.

Flames enveloped the main building in the parliament complex, and many politicians fled to a nearby hotel.

“It is difficult to say what happens next, but things are out of control because the demonstrators do not listen to anyone,” said Ouedraogo, an opposition lawmaker.

The images of cars on fire and plumes of black smoke in the capital of Ouagadougou prompted alarm from the international community. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all parties to end the violence, and said he was “saddened over the loss of life resulting from recent events,” a statement said.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, a U.N. Special Representative, said he “deplores the deterioration of the security situation”.

In a bid to restore calm, military leaders met on Thursday afternoon with the influential traditional chief of the country’s largest ethnic group, the Mossi, according to Jonathan Yameogo, a spokesman for the ruling party.

Burkina Faso has long been known for its relative stability in volatile Africa, though tensions have been mounting over Compaore’s plans to extend his rule.

He first came to power following the October 1987 coup against then-President Thomas Sankara, a one-time friend and political ally who ultimately was killed in the power grab.

President Compaore has been elected four times since, al though the opposition has disputed the results.

US State Department spokesperson Psaki said in a statement late on Thursday that the US welcomed Compaore’s decision to withdraw the bill that would have allowed him to run again.

“We also welcome his decision to form a government of national unity to prepare for national elections and to transfer power to a democratically elected successor,” the statement said.

Since coming to power, Compaore, 63, has refashioned himself as an elder statesman who brokered electoral disputes and hostage releases throughout the region.

He made no secret of his support for Taylor, the Liberian warlord turned president now serving a 50-year sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Leone. The leader of Faso also has been accused of supporting rebel groups in Coast and Angola, though he later played the role as a peacemaker in Coast and elsewhere.

More recently, his government was involved in negotiating the release of several European hostages held by al-Qaida-linked militants in northern Mali. He also hosted the talks between Mali’s government and separatist Tuareg rebels, leading to the agreement which made the July 2013 presidential election possible.

In 2011, Compaore encountered another crisis when multiple waves of protests washed over the country. The unrest began with students torching government buildings in several cities after a young man died in the custody of security forces, allegedly as a result of mistreatment.

Ordinary citizens took to the streets over rising food prices, and soldiers looted shops and stole cars to express their discontent over low pay. At one point in mid-April of that year, mutinous soldiers occupied the palace, forcing Compaore to flee.

But what would have spelled the end for many presidents was a mere temporary problem for Compaore, one he could manoeuvre his way out of by removing his security chiefs and appointing himself defence minister before returning to Ouagadougou.




Source: The Australian News