Categories: News

Burkina Faso Coup Over, President Kafando Restored to Power

After the presidential guard and coup leader Gen. Gilbert Diendere agreed to the deal presented by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Burkina Faso Interim President Michel Kafando (pictured) announced that he is finally “resuming service” a week after a coup was staged, reports the BBC.

Keep Up With Face2Face Africa On Facebook!

On Tuesday, while Gen. Diendere refused calls by the nation’s army to step down, he did agree that he would be willing to release power if ECOWAS could guarantee amnesty for coup leaders and allow politicians who are loyal to former President Blaise Compaore to run in the upcoming elections.

And while the terms of the accord are yet to be made public, the presidential guard did sign a peace agreement with the army in front of the traditional king of the Mossi ethnic group, Mogho Naba (pictured, Burkinabe’s most-influential leader), and ECOWAS leaders Tuesday night, agreeing to return to their barracks and withdraw from the capital.

By Wednesday, Kafando released the following statement, applauding Burkinabes — as well as the international community — for actively rejecting the coup.

“We are proud of the mobilisation and fearlessness of the people of Burkina Faso, in particular of its youth, whose determination has stopped [the coup succeeding].

“I salute the international community for having rejected unequivocally this action….,” Kafando said.

“Regarding the Ecowas proposals for a solution to the crisis, it is obvious that we will only commit to them if they take into account the will of the Burkinabes.”

Due to clashes between the presidential guard and protesters, at least 10 civilians were killed and more than 100 were wounded since the coup was announced last Wednesday.

Abena Agyeman-Fisher

Abena Agyeman-Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of Face2Face Africa. Most recently, she worked for Interactive One as the Senior Editor of NewsOne, she worked for AOL as the News Programming Manager of Black Voices, which later became HuffPo Black Voices, and for the New York Times Company as an Associate Health Editor. Abena, a Spelman College graduate, has been published in Al Jazeera, the Daily Beast, New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger, the Grio, BlackVoices, West Orange Patch, About.com, the Source, Vibe, Vibe Vixen, Jane, and Upscale Magazines. She has interviewed top celebrities, icons, and politicians, such as First Lady Michelle Obama, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Civil Rights activist and diplomat Andrew Young, comedian Bill Cosby, Grammy Award-winning singer Jill Scott, actress and singer Queen Latifah, Olympic Gold winner Cullen Jones, international supermodel Alek Wek, and five-division world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather. Most recently, she served as the First Lady’s press reporter during President Barack Obama’s U.S.-Africa Summit, Young African Leaders Institute event, and the 2013 presidential trip to Senegal, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Tanzania. Abena is also a 2015 International Women's Media Foundation Africa Great Lakes Fellow, where she reported on women candidates and Chinese sweatshops in Tanzania for CNN and Refinery29.