President of Ghana John Mahama Dramani (C) President of Senegal Macky Sall (R) and President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan (L) attend a meeting of ECOWAS leaders and the transitional leader of Burkina Faso Lt Col Isaac Zida (not pictured) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 05 November 2014. Legnan Koula/EPA
Updated 11/5/14, 10:25 a.m. EST: With Presidents Macky Sall, John Mahama, and Goodluck Jonathan serving as mediators, Burkina Faso’s political parties and incumbent Burkina Faso leader Lt. Col. Isaac Zida have agreed to a transitional government being in place until the 2015 November elections, according to the BBC.
What wasn’t agreed to yet is who will take over power from the military.
The BBC’s Thomas Fessay reports:
“President John Mahama of Ghana, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and President Macky Sall of Senegal thought that by the end of the day, the ‘Country of the Upright Men’ – the meaning of the country’s name – would have a civilian transitional leader.
“That would have been hailed as a great success at Thursday’s Ecowas summit in Accra – West African leaders solving a West African problem.
“The leaders gave political parties and civic groups two hours on Wednesday to submit names, hoping to speed things up. Late in the evening, they were forced to admit that ‘there was no use to rushing’ the process, in President Sall’s words.”
The African Union has given Lt. Zida, who was initially the National Guard’s second in command, two weeks to hand over power.
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On Tuesday, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, and Ghanaian President John Mahama, flew in to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to ensure that the military would hand over their power, reports the BBC.
RELATED: Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore Steps Down
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Last Friday, former Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore stepped down from office after 27 years in power amid violent protests from the people.
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And shortly afterward, Lt. Col. Isaac Zida (pictured) named himself the interim leader, instantly transforming the country from civilian to military rule, sparking more protests in the capital.
But the African Union says the army acted unconstitutionally, so they have given them a two-week deadline to hand over power or else the country will likely have their African Union membership suspended and a travel ban would be instituted against military officials.
Consequently, Presidents Mahama, Jonathan, and Sall were received by Lt. Zida in order to help negotiate the transfer of power.
The BBC reports:
A statement from President Jonathan’s office said the three-man delegation representing West African regional body Ecowas aimed to “facilitate the rapid resolution of the current political crisis in Burkina Faso.”
So far, Lt. Zida has indicated that he is willing to hand over power. Union Leader Joseph Tiendrebeogo said on behalf of Zida on Tuesday, “If everyone agrees, there is no reason that the transition shouldn’t be done within two weeks.”
Former President Located
Compaore (pictured at right) has reportedly sought refuge in the Ivory Coast capital of Yamoussoukro, and France
has admitted to assisting the derided leader out of the country.
About his stay in the Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara said that Compaore is welcome to stay in his country for as long as he wishes because he assisted in easing tensions in his country during the 2010 elections.
“As a mediator, he helped his Ivorian brothers resume dialogue… That is why, naturally, we welcome him here, following the painful events that shook our neighbour,” President Ouattara said.
RELATED: Fed Up With President Seeking 5th Term, Burkina Fasoan Protestors Set Fire to Parliament
