Burkina Faso is no stranger to unconstitutional change of governments. Out of 11 heads of state since independence in 1960, the country has never had any peaceful power transfer.
Unlike all its other coups, the last two were fuelled by the Islamist insurgency plaguing part of the West African region since 2012, a spillover from Mali. It has claimed the lives of over 11,000 people, according to humanitarian organisations, mainly in three countries – Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
For Burkina Faso, security is therefore, the number one priority right now, as was clearly expressed in the aftermath of the September 30 coup, when people poured out into the streets to hail the new military leaders. Some displayed Russian flags and chanted anti-French slogans. But the deposed leader, who is now exiled in neighbouring Togo, had presented seven conditions to pave way for his departure. One of those was a guarantee for his safety and those of his close allies, a strategic request because one of the charges levelled against him by the new junta leadership was treason.It was the second coup in the landlocked West African nation in eight months.
In neighbouring Mali, the military-led transition administration has since severed ties with France, replacing its forces with Russian mercenaries. In the past 11 years, Mali has had three coups, all of which were influenced by disagreement over how to deal with insecurity. Niger has had its fair share of political instability, with one unconstitutional change of government in 2010.
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