Burkina Faso Coup: Military Leader Damiba Ousted by Soldiers

• Burkina Faso's military leader, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba, has been removed in a coup led by army captain Ibrahim Traore
• Lt Col Damiba's junta overthrew an elected government in January, citing a failure to halt Islamist attacks as the reason
• He was, however, ousted on Friday by Traore with support from several soldiers over his inability to deal with the country's Islamist insurgency

The military leader of Burkina Faso, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba, has been ousted by army captain Ibrahim Traore, halting all political activities in the country.

Tight security amid soaring tensions

Borders have been closed amid soaring tensions in the country following the coup. Lt Col Damiba's junta came to power after overthrowing an elected government in January, citing a failure to halt Islamist attacks, per the BBC.

He was, however, removed on Friday by Ibrahim Traore with support from several soldiers.

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Reason for the recent coup

Traore cited Lt Col Damiba's failure to deal with an Islamist insurgency as the reason. More than 20 armed soldiers, most with their faces covered, appeared on state television to announce Damiba's removal from office and a curfew from 21:00 to 05:00.

"Faced with the deteriorating situation, we tried several times to get Damiba to refocus the transition on the security question," said the statement signed by Traore.

"Damiba's actions gradually convinced us that his ambitions were diverting away from what we set out to do. We decided this day to remove Damiba," it said.

Lt Col Damiba's whereabouts are not known following the coup. Some countries, including the United States, have expressed concern about the events in Burkina Faso.

The US has urged its citizens to limit movements in the country. "We call for a return to calm and restraint by all actors," a State Department spokesperson said.

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have condemned the move.

Gunshots Ring Near Presidential Palace in Burkina Faso

In a related story, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana’s neighbouring country to the north, Burkina Faso, is on the verge of another coup as gunshots have been heard near the presidential palace.

According to the BBC, the state broadcaster and the residence of the prime minister have been taken over by the military.

“Eyewitnesses are reporting a heavy military presence around the city. Schools are closed and residents are staying indoors, waiting for updates on the latest news,” the BBC reported on Friday, September 30.

Source: YEN.com.gh