AA / Ouagadougou / Dramane Traoré
The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided on Friday, during their extraordinary summit which was held virtually, to suspend Burkina Faso from its bodies because of the marked situation. by a coup since last Monday, announced several international and Burkinabè media.
In addition to the suspension of Burkina Faso, ECOWAS has planned a military and civilian mission to Ouagadougou, according to the same sources including “Radio Omega” citing participants in this summit.
Another meeting is scheduled for February 3 in Accra (Ghana) to decide on the situation in Burkina Faso.
At the opening of the work, the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara, argued that “our region is facing a political crisis. We are meeting in extraordinary session to seek solutions to this new crisis which threatens our democratic and economic achievements and our integration model”.
“The deteriorating political situation in our region should be a matter of great concern to all of us. Added to this is the complex security environment occasioned by terrorist attacks and pandemics, which presents us with a toxic situation,” said ECOWAS President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He explained that this development “tells us that not everyone accepts democracy as the preferred means of governance. We still have work to do to convince these people that we are all safer under democracy.”
The sub-regional institution made up of 15 nations had already threatened Burkina Faso in the early hours of the coup which began with a mutiny.
Shortly before the opening of the summit, the head of diplomacy in Niger, Hassoumi Massaoudou, declared to the France 24 channel that “we are determined at the level of ECOWAS to ensure that the experience of the confiscation of power by a military junta is a failure in Mali, Burkina and everywhere else in our space”.
During his first media appearance on public television on Thursday evening, the president of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration (MPSR), Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba called on the international community to accompany Burkina Faso so that it can exit as quickly as possible from this crisis to resume its march towards development.
“I know how to understand the legitimate doubts aroused by this rupture in the normal functioning of the State, but I would like to reassure all the friends of Burkina Faso that the country will continue to respect its international commitments, in particular with regard to the respect of human rights,” he said.
He explained that the indicators of the junta’s agenda would remain the level of restoration of the integrity of the territory faced with the advance of the terrorist front since 2015.
“I give you the firm assurance that our commitment is in no way intended to restore any order, but is inspired by all the legitimate demands of the Burkinabè people,” he said.
He underlined that under his reign the foundations of the Nation will be safeguarded and the files engaged on the judicial level will be sovereignly led by the authorities having received competence for this purpose.
“When the conditions are met according to the deadlines that our people will have sovereignly defined, I am committed to a return to a normal constitutional life,” he said.
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