Burkina Faso new military leader calls for international support: ECOWAS

Burkina Faso new military leader calls for international support: ECOWAS

Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The military of Burkina Faso under Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba ousted the leader after a mutiny occurred. President Roch Marc Kabore was overthrown after being blamed for endangering the territorial integrity of Burkina Faso. This concerns the growing crisis related to Sunni Islamic terrorism in vast parts of this country.

Lt-Col Damiba is calling for international support because of the severity of the crisis. This concerns the increasing number of deaths caused by Islamist terrorist forces in recent years, the internal refugee crisis, and its impact on the economy.

Lt-Col Damiba said, “I call on the international community to support our country so it can exit this crisis as soon as possible.”

He continued, “In its history, our country has rarely been confronted with adversity. But more than six years now our people have been living under the yoke of an enemy that succeeded.”

Lt-Col Damiba also pointedly warns against any transgressions that will betray the interests of Burkina Faso. He said, “I warn all those who will be guided only by their selfish interests that I will be uncompromising with the acts of betrayal of the aspirations of our people.”

Modern Tokyo Times recently said, “Political and military tensions in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and other nations blighted by Islamic terrorism throughout the region, further add to the crisis in these nations. Hence, various Islamic terrorist groups gain from internal political intrigues and discontent within the armed forces. At the same time, internal refugees concerning the bloodshed mean that limited resources are under enormous strain.”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is gradually succumbing to more military coups. Hence, the impact of ECOWAS in espousing democracy and intervening is becoming more limited. Therefore, economic sanctions will only hinder the economic angle of ECOWAS.

The BBC reports, “Burkina Faso is the third West African country to witness a military takeover in recent years. Guinea and Mali have had sanctions imposed on them by regional bloc Ecowas to press them to return to constitutional order.”

Burkina Faso is following on from Guinea and Mali. While Chad in the Sahel heavily relies on the armed forces. Indeed, Chad in recent years helped the powerhouse of ECOWAS, Nigeria, in its fight against Islamist terrorism. Therefore, with Nigeria being blighted by several Islamic terrorist forces – and ethnic tensions – this sums up the state of ECOWAS.

Realism needs to be part of the new transparency in ECOWAS. Especially with Nigeria being blighted by endless Islamist massacres, Fulani bloodletting of killing Christians, rampant corruption, and other ills. Hence, events in Burkina Faso need honest regional and international brokers to support a country that feels threatened by the regional dynamics of Islamist terrorism.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60164531

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