It’s like déjà vu all over again: Popular uprising against
abuses of power forces long-serving former military man to step down. The
military, loyal to the deposed head of state, seizes power and promises a
democratic transition. Protests resume. International outcry commences.
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| The parliament building in Ouagadougou was set on fire by protesters last Thursday |
Last week, residents of Burkina Faso’s capital city of
Ouagadougou took to the streets, setting fire to parliament and government
buildings in response to President Blaise Compaore’s attempt to change the country’s
constitution and extend his nearly three-decade long rule. The protests forced
Compaore’s resignation, but the resulting celebration, complete with cheering
and dancing in the streets, was short lived, as thousands of people gathered on
Sunday in protest of what they called a blatant power grab by the army.
The people’s frustration is justified: according to Burkina
Faso’s constitution, power transfers to the head of parliament if the president
resigns, and the interim government has a mandate to organize elections within
90 days. However, when Compaore, who himself seized power in a 1987 military
coup, stepped down, the military moved to dissolve the legislature and suspend
the constitution. On Friday, Army General Honore Traore announced that he would
lead the transitional government, a move that was widely denounced by the
civilian population as well as by a group of army officers. Then, on Saturday,
in a move that exposed a power struggle within its ranks, the military sidelined
Traore and named Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida, former second-in-command of the
presidential guard, the new head of the interim government.
Military leaders have issued statements in their defense,
stating that their actions do not amount to a coup d’état. They say that they
are working on the side of the people to ensure a democratic transition decided
in consultation with layers of society. Col. Zida addressed diplomats and
journalists in Ouagadougou, stating that the military intended for a
transitional government comprised of civilians to take office and would
facilitate the creation of the new governing body.
Military leaders have called for cooperation from regional
bodies, such as the African Union (AU) and the West African regional bloc
ECOWAS. They will not see any such cooperation, as the AU and ECOWAS have
joined domestic protesters and international actors to denounce the actions of
the military.
Thousands of protesters gathered over the weekend in Place de
la Nation, demanding that the military immediately step down and calling for
the removal of Zida from power. The opposition and civil society organizations
view the military’s actions as usurping the uprising, which they believe
belongs to the people. Protests turned violent yet again on Sunday, when
soldiers blockaded the main square in Ouagadougou and fired shots at the state
TV station. One demonstrator was reportedly killed.
The military is not without any support within the country:
some people believe that Col. Zida will keep his promises, and they hope that
civil society leaders and political leaders can work with the military to
construct the new government.
The AU has been calling for the military to transfer power
to civilian authorities. The Peace and Security Council, the arm of the AU that
imposes sanctions for violations of the democratic process, held a meeting in
Ethiopia on Monday to discuss the situation, resolving to apply sanctions
against Burkina Faso if the military fails to give up power within two weeks.
The Council plans to reconvene in two weeks to discuss any further developments
and next steps.
The US State Department condemned the military’s seizure of
power almost immediately, and on Saturday, urged Burkina Faso’s military
leaders to transfer power to civilian authorities, noting that the US would consider
freezing military cooperation if they determined that these actions amounted to
a coup. The EU also called for the people of Burkina Faso to have the final say in determining their leader.
Whether the military can continue to cling to power and
force a potentially rigged, or at least heavily stacked, election, or whether
it will fold under the combined weight of the popular uprising and
regional/international opposition remains to be seen. It is almost certain that
should the military manage to place one of their own in power, this individual
will only hold power so long as they can spur economic growth and reduce
corruption and the blatant wealth gap between the ruling class and the people.
Burkina Faso’s uprising and its outcome may be foreshadowing
the future of West and Central Africa’s political trajectories as well. In
several other countries in the region, including Republic of the Congo,
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Benin, long-serving leaders are reaching
the end of their constitutional terms. Should these leaders decide to vie for
another term, they may shy away from blatantly unconstitutional means.
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