France has “strongly denied” any involvement of the French navy within the alleged retaliatory plan of ousted chief Damiba.
Military officers who seized energy in Burkina Faso stated Coup navy chief Paul-Henri Sandogo Damiba Was planning retaliation from a “French base”.
Photographs broke out within the capital Ouagadougou on Saturday amid indicators of pressure, a day after authorities overthrew a person who had seized energy in a coup solely 9 months in the past.
,[Damiba] He’s believed to have taken refuge on the French base in Comboinsin to plan a retaliatory motion to create hassle in our protection and safety forces,” the coup d’état stated in a press release learn on nationwide tv and by Captain Ibrahim Traore. Signed, the brand new chief of the nation.
France, the previous colonial energy in Burkina Faso, denied the allegation. An hour earlier than televised feedback by navy figures, the French embassy issued a press release “strongly denies any involvement of the French navy within the occasions of the previous few hours”.
The embassy additionally “denied rumors that Burkinabe officers have been hosted or are underneath the safety of the French navy”.
Fireplace was seen on the French embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital and photographs had been heard as protesters took to the streets.
Traore was beforehand the pinnacle of a particular forces unit “Cobra” within the northern space of Kaya. In the meantime, Damiba’s whereabouts are unknown.
The Chief of Workers of Burkina Faso’s navy known as on the opposing factions to finish hostilities and proceed talks, calling the scenario “an inner disaster throughout the nationwide armed forces”.
‘Trying to find dialogue’
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres condemned the seizure of energy and known as on “all actors to chorus from violence and demand dialogue”, his spokesman stated in a press release.
What Burkina Faso wants is peace, stability and unity to battle terrorist teams and legal networks working in sure components of the nation.
damiba got here to energy in a coup In January. He established himself because the chief of a rustic of 16 million after accusing elected President Roch Marc Christian Cabore of failing to defeat armed teams.
The violence has prompted a sequence of coups in Mali, Guinea and Chad since 2020, with a lot of the Sahel area battling a rising insurgency.
France has a navy presence in Burkina Faso, with a contingent of particular forces primarily based in Comboinsins, 30 km (19 mi) from Ouagadougou.
traumatic scenario
The scenario in Ouagadougou was tense on Saturday. Helicopters saved hovering over town and outlets that opened for enterprise within the morning closed their doorways.
European Union and African Union (AU) Add your voices to the refrain of worldwide condemnation The second coup this 12 months within the deeply impoverished and troubled West African nation.
“Chairman calls upon the navy to instantly and utterly abstain from any means” acts of violence or a menace to the civilian inhabitants, civil liberties, human rights,” the AU stated in a press release.
Junior officers who took down Damiba stated he had did not cease assaults by armed teams within the nation.
Firing befell within the early hours round Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. Inside hours, a dozen troopers in uniform appeared on state tv and radio broadcasters to announce Damiba’s removing.
The brand new leaders swiftly suspended the structure, sealed borders, dissolved the transitional authorities and legislative meeting, and imposed a 9 p.m. to five a.m. curfew.