The African Union yesterday condemned the “coup attempt” in Burkina Faso, calling on the national army and security forces “to ensure the physical integrity of the president” Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and his government. Meanwhile, following a period of confusion in which the situation on the ground was unclear, Reuters has since quoted the army as saying that it had ousted President Kabore, suspended the constitution, dissolved the government and the national assembly, and closed the country’s borders. Signed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and read by another officer on state television, the announcement said the takeover had been carried out without violence and that those detained were at a secure location. Kabore’s inability to unite the West African nation and effectively respond to challenges, which include an Islamist insurgency, were cited as reasons for his ousting.
