Burkina Faso: Buhari condemns coup, asks military leaders to release ousted president

The federal government of Nigeria has condemned the coup that took place recently in Burkina Faso.

According to Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the coup and demanded the release of President Roch Marc Kabore who was detained by a military junta.

The military removed Kabore from office on Monday, blaming him for failing to contain worsening violence by Islamist militants in the country.

Speaking on the development, Onyeama said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has resolved to engage with the leaders of the military junta on the way forward.

The minister spoke with state house correspondents on Friday after the emergency virtual meeting of the ECOWAS apex decision-making body.

He said Nigeria is fully in support of the ECOWAS demand for an immediate return to civil rule, the release of Kaboré, and total cooperation with the regional body “in the process of sorting out the current situation”.

On what might happen if the demands are not met, Onyeama said: “That’ll now be for the summit meeting to now take a definitive decision because they would have had the benefit of the input of the chiefs of defence staff, the benefit of the input of the ministers of foreign affairs, who would have gone there, and then they will be in a position to now make an informed and definitive decision.”

Earlier, the junta had said the West African country will return to constitutional order when conditions are right.

Paul-Henri Damiba, leader of the military junta, said he would convene various sections of the country’s society to agree on a roadmap to plan and carry out needed reforms.

Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Friday, finally suspended Burkina Faso from its governing bodies.

The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government made the decision at the end of its virtual summit on the situation in Burkina Faso on Friday.

The resolutions of the ECOWAS Presidents were contained in a communique issued at the end of the virtual summit made available to newsmen.

It would be noted that this is coming after the coup d’etat carried out last Sunday that toppled the democratically elected government of President Roch Kabore.

The ECOWAS Presidents, who condemned the coup d’état, frowned at the resurgence of coup d’états in member countries, insisting that ECOWAS will no longer tolerate ascending to power through unconstitutional means.

The communique partly reads, “the Authority, during deliberations, strongly condemns the coup d’etat and expresses deep concern over the resurgence of military coups in the region.

It also demanded the quick restoration of constitutional order by the militaries and urged them to remain republican by focusing on their duty of safeguarding the territorial integrity of Burkina Faso.