AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Calm returns, the head of the military junta who was deposed leaves the country thanks to the mediation of religious leaders

Ouagadougou (Agenzia Fides) - "The situation in Ouagadougou is calm after the tensions on Friday September 30 and Saturday October 1", Church sources from the capital of Burkina Faso report to Fides, where a coup took place on September 30 (see Fides, 30/9/2022) overthrew the military junta that had taken office following a previous coup, which took place in January 2022.
"There are no official press releases, but from traditional media and social media it is now known that on Sunday, October 2, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the head of the previous military junta, agreed to leave the country and is now in Togo," say Fides sources.
Damiba’s peaceful exit, after two days of tension, was the result of negotiations between local religious leaders. "Between Friday and Saturday, false news spread on social media, according to which Damiba was protected by France, provoked the anger of the population who attacked the embassy and other Paris facilities in Ouagadougou," our sources say. "Claims which were later denied by Damiba himself via Facebook".
The face of the new military junta was presented on State television on the evening of September 30. This is Captain Ibrahim Traoré. In his speech addressed to about thirty general secretaries of the ministries, Captain Traoré apologized for the soldiers who "upset Ouagadougou".
"This happened because some things are not working well. We have been forced to move quickly to change things, because the whole country is in an situation of emergency", referring to the jihadist the violence affecting large areas of the Country.
Damiba had overthrown the democratically elected government led by President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, accusing it of not being able to fight effectively against the jihadists. But the jihadist violence, which killed thousands of people and forced 2 million people to flee their homes, continued and has now ended Damiba's mandate as well.
Traoré called on the population to keep calm, in particular to stop all hostile acts against France. "Russian flags appeared during the assaults on French institutional sites. Now one wonders if Burkina Faso will also follow the example of Mali which expelled French troops and welcomed Russian mercenaries. But at the moment it is too early to say", our sources report.
The arrival of a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS/ECOWS) is expected today, October 3 in Burkina Faso. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/10/2022)

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