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Burkina Faso authorities confirmed on Monday (23 January) that they have demanded the withdrawal of French troops based in Ouagadougou within a month.
The confirmation comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron asked for an “explanation” in this latest episode of tensions between the two countries.
Below is a summary of the major political events that have taken place in the Sahelian country since the first military coup in 2022.
Incidents erupted in Ouagadougou on 22 January 2022 during demonstrations denouncing the powerlessness of the authorities in the face of a jihadist uprising that has ravaged the northern half of the country since 2015. The next day the soldiers mutinied to demand the withdrawal of the army. leader.
On January 24, 2022, officials announced they had seized power and ousted President Rock Mark Christian Cabore. Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba became the country’s new strongman.
Ouagadougou took to the streets to celebrate the regime change while the United Nations, France and the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the military takeover.
Colonel Damiba Takes Oath
On February 10, 2022, Lieutenant Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiva was proclaimed President by the Constitutional Council and sworn in on February 16.
Since mid-March, deadly attacks by alleged jihadists have increased.
In early July, West African leaders agreed to a military government in a two-year transition. On August 11, 2022, Cabore was cleared to travel abroad for “medical reasons.”
new military takeover
On the night of September 30, 2022, after a day of fighting in the presidential palace, about 15 soldiers announced that Damiba had been overthrown in support of Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
An entirely new international condemnation has arrived.
On 1 October 2022, the military announced that it did not approve of the coup, and Damiba called on the coup plotters to “bring their sanity back.”
They accused France of supporting Damiva, which Paris denied. Demonstrators then attacked French buildings, including the embassy and cultural centre.
Traoré takes the lead
On 2 October 2022, Damiba finally accepted his resignation after securing a guarantee with Traoré and respecting that the new strongman would return to civil rule within two years. Curfews have been lifted and borders have reopened.
On October 14, 2022, Ibrahim Traore was named Interim President until the presidential elections scheduled for July 2024. He took office on 21 October 2022 with the goal of “reclaiming the territories” taken by his group of jihadists.
On 28 October 2022, hundreds of people demonstrated in Ouagadougou against the French presence. On November 24, the military announced that he had enlisted more than 90,000 civilian volunteers to step up the fight against the jihadists.
French withdrawal
A letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated Wednesday (18 January 2023) ends the 2018 agreement under which French troops were stationed in Burkina Faso and sets a one-month deadline for their departure. The Burkinabe government confirmed the authenticity of the letter on Monday (23 January 2023).
On January 20, 2023, new protests took place in Ouagadougou, joined by demonstrators demanding the expulsion of French Ambassador Luc Harade from Burkina Faso. They also called for the closure of a French military base in Burkina Faso, where 400 special forces are stationed.
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