Burkina Faso Coup Leader, Ibrahim Traore plans to leave office in 2024
Ibrahim Traore, the new military ruler of Burkina Faso, declared that he would adhere to the schedule for the democratic transition that had been set by his predecessor and the West African regional group ECOWAS.
The remarks came during a meeting with an ECOWAS mission dispatched to speak with the junta that seized power last week in the nation’s second coup in 2022.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Traore said Burkina Faso would “respect the dynamic agreement” to restore constitutional order in 24 months that had been reached with ECOWAS in July.
Additionally, he declared that the nation would uphold its obligations under international law, notably with regard to the defense of human rights and participation in ECOWAS review processes.
Former Niger president Mahamadou Issoufou, the ECOWAS mediator who led the team, expressed satisfaction with the conversations.
Paul-Henri Damiba, a military leader who had seized control in a prior coup in January and pledged to restore civilian authority by July 2024, was overthrown by a coup organized by Mr. Traore.
Frustrations about the escalating insecurity brought on by a raging Islamist insurgency that started in neighboring Mali in 2012 and extended to other nations south of the Sahara Desert were the driving forces behind both takeovers.
In raids on rural areas, thousands have died, and millions have been forced to escape.
Days prior to the coup, an incident in northern Burkina Faso that left at least 27 soldiers dead was claimed by an Al Qaeda affiliate this week.
