Friday 30th September 2022 at the breaking of dawn, witnessed another coup d’état in Burkina Faso, removing interim President Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba’s for alleged inability to deal with the nation’s Islamist insurgency. President Sandaogo came to power in a coup d’état just eight months earlier.
Friday 30th September 2022 at the breaking of dawn, witnessed another coup d’état in Burkina Faso, removing interim President Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba’s for alleged inability to deal with the nation’s Islamist insurgency. President Sandaogo came to power in a coup d’état just eight months earlier.
The coup came in the aftermath of the January 2022 Burkina Faso military coup that was motivated by the government’s inability to contain the Islamist insurgency in the country. Previously, a group of special force officers overthrew President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, installing Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the head of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration. The country’s citizens welcomed the coup, as the previous government had become deeply unpopular for its failure to deal with the growing insurgency. However, the new regime could not defeat the rebels and instead lost more territories to the Jihadists and other militants. By September 2022, close to half of the country’s territory was controlled by non-state forces. President Sandaogo Damiba later fired his defence minister and assumed the position himself. Many officers who had supported Damiba in the January coup became dissatisfied with his rule. They claimed he did not focus on defeating the insurgents which was their original aim of coming into power instead he pursued his agenda. The unhappy officers were young and served directly at the front. President Damiba also lost the support of the civilian population. The disgruntled elements, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, decided to stage a military coup. Captain Traore served as the head of the “Cobra” Special Forces, an army unit in the town of Kaya, north of Burkina Faso. In addition to the poor performance of government troops against the Jihadists, the “Cobra” troops were also upset over the delays in the payment of their salary. Also, they showed increasing dissatisfaction against President Damiba for not releasing their former chief commander Emmanuel Zoungrana who President Roch Marc Christian Kabore imprisoned. On the 26th of September 2022, a supply convoy to the besieged northern town of Djibo was ambushed by rebels, leading to the death of 11 officers and the kidnapping of about 50 civilians. The event further undermined public confidence in President Damiba’s government, significantly contributing to his eventual overthrow.
The coup also came amidst a push by Russia in recent years to increase her influence in the Sahel region. Some of the efforts were masterminded by Wagner Group, whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In recent years, there has been growing dissatisfaction with France, the leading partner of the Sahel countries, in the battle against Islamist groups in the region. Many in Burkina Faso currently prefer replacing France with Russia.
The founder of the Wagner Group has been working underground to influence the anti-French sentiment in the Sahel through troll farms. It is believed that before the coup; the military was strongly divided over whether to replace France with other international partners, especially Russia. President Damiba, however, unilaterally decided against the move.
The coup began early in the morning of the day when heavy gunfire and explosions were heard in several parts of the capital Ouagadougou.
Masked soldiers organized road blockades. The pro-coup soldiers mainly belonged to the “Cobra” Special Forces. Clashes occurred at the military Camp Baba Sy, where President Damiba was primarily based.
Gunfire was also reported at the Kosyam Palace. The Burkinabe state TV went off the air. Hours later, the interim government admitted an internal crisis with the army and indicated talks were underway to reach an agreement. On his Facebook page, Interim President Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba admitted there had been a “change in mood among certain elements of the national armed forces.
As civilians realized a military coup was taking place, groups gathered in the country’s capital city to demonstrate support for the coup plotters.
In the evening, Captain Ibrahim Traore announced he and a group of officers had decided to remove the interim government due to their inability to deal with the worsening Jihadist insurgency in the country. He suspended the Burkina Faso Constitution alongside all political and civil society activities. Air and land borders were shut down with a curfew from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am. The transitional legislative assembly was also dissolved. Captain Traore later declared he was the new head of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration. The whereabouts of former Interim President Damiba remain unknown.
The reaction of civil society remains mixed. Although some supported and celebrated the new coup, others did not believe a recent political change would solve the growing security issues. The ECOWAS opposed the coup, stating that the coup came at an inopportune time when Burkinabe was returning to a constitutional government. The chairperson of the African Union Commission has condemned the coup as unconstitutional. Furthermore, the United States stated she was deeply concerned by the situation and called on the new military regime to de-escalate, protect citizens and soldiers, and allow a speedy return to constitutional order.
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