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.
