Burkina Faso military seizes power in coup

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Burkina Faso’s military overthrew the country’s government and imprisoned its former leader.

Capt. Sidsore Kader Ouedraogo announced the coup on state television on Monday, saying that the military acted due to the “ongoing degradation of the security situation” in the country, according to CNN. Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba, a senior military official, also participated in the announcement.

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Ouedraogo also said military leaders made the move to “get back on the right track” and to “gather all forces to fight for our territorial interest, our recovery and our sovereignty.”

They removed President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, whose government had been criticized for its ineffective efforts to combat the rise of violent Islamic extremism.

Fighting began on Saturday around the presidential palace in Ouagadougou, and the former president has not been seen publicly since. One of the figures instrumental in the coup told the outlet that Kabore signed his resignation letter after soldiers had taken control of a military base before storming the grounds. He’s being kept at a “safe place,” per the official.

“Our nation is going through difficult times,” the tweet said. “We must in this precise moment, preserve our democratic achievements. I invite those who took arms to lower them in the superior interest of the nation. It is through dialogue and listening that we must resolve our contradictions.”

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States is “deeply concerned” by the situation and “condemn[s] these acts and call[s] on those responsible to descale the situation, prevent harm to President Kabore and any other members of his government in detention.”

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“We acknowledge the tremendous stress on Burkinabé society and security forces posed by ISIS and JNIM but urge military officers to step back, return to their barracks, and address their concerns through dialogue,” Price added in the statement.

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