France ‘firmly denies’ any involvement of the French military in an alleged counteroffensive plan by toppled chief Damiba.
The military officers who seized energy in Burkina Faso stated toppled army chief Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was planning a counteroffensive from a “French base”.
Gunshots rang out Saturday within the capital Ouagadougou amid indicators of lingering tensions a day after the officers overthrew the person who seized energy in a coup solely 9 months earlier.
“[Damiba] is believed to have taken refuge within the French base at Kamboinsin to be able to plan a counteroffensive to fire up hassle in our defence and safety forces,” the coup-makers stated in a press release learn out on nationwide tv and signed by Captain Ibrahim Traore, the nation’s new chief.
France, the previous colonial energy in Burkina Faso, denied the allegation. An hour earlier than the televised feedback by the army figures, the French embassy issued a press release “firmly denying any involvement of the French military within the occasions of the previous couple of hours”.
The embassy additionally denied “rumours that Burkinabe authorities have been hosted or are below the safety of French army”.
A hearth was seen on the French embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital and several other photographs had been heard as protesters took to the streets.
Traore was beforehand head of a particular forces unit “Cobra” within the northern area of Kaya. Damiba’s whereabouts, in the meantime, stay unknown.
The chief of workers of Burkina Faso’s military referred to as on opposing factions to stop hostilities and proceed talks, calling the state of affairs “an inner disaster inside the Nationwide Armed Forces”.
‘Search dialogue’
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres condemned the seizure of energy and referred to as “on all actors to chorus from violence and search dialogue”, his spokesman stated in a press release.
“Burkina Faso wants peace, stability and unity to struggle terrorist teams and legal networks working in elements of the nation,” it stated.
Damiba got here to energy in a coup in January. He put in himself as chief of the nation of 16 million after accusing elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore of failing to beat again armed teams.
With a lot of the Sahel area battling a rising insurrection, the violence has prompted a collection of coups in Mali, Guinea and Chad since 2020.
France has a army presence in Burkina Faso, with a contingent of particular forces primarily based in Kamboinsin, 30km (19 miles) from Ouagadougou.
Tense state of affairs
The state of affairs in Ouagadougou was tense on Saturday. Helicopters hovered above town and outlets that had opened for enterprise within the morning shut their doorways.
The European Union and the African Union (AU) added their voices to a refrain of worldwide condemnation of the second coup this yr within the deeply poor and restive West African nation.
“The chairperson calls upon the army to instantly and completely chorus from any acts of violence or threats to the civilian inhabitants, civil liberties, human rights,” the AU stated in a press release.
The junior officers who toppled Damiba stated he had failed to forestall armed group assaults within the nation.
On Friday, pre-dawn gunfire erupted across the presidential palace. Inside hours, a dozen troopers in fatigues appeared on the state tv and radio broadcaster to announce Damiba’s removing.
The brand new leaders swiftly suspended the structure, sealed the borders, dissolved the transitional authorities and legislative meeting and instituted a 9pm-5am curfew.