Burkina Faso coup and political situation
Burkina Faso Coup President Paul-Henri Damiba recently announced his resignation following violence in the volatile West African nation, after a group of soldiers overthrew the military government in the second coup in nearly eight months.
The crisis deepened under his government, despite Damiba’s promises to improve the security situation in the country.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Burkina Faso from the organization and called on the Damiba-led government to hold elections as soon as possible.
History of Burkina Faso:
- A former French colony, Burkina Faso has faced instability including several coups since gaining independence in
- The name Burkina Faso literally means “Land of Honest Men”, it was chosen by the revolutionary military officer Thomas Sankara, who took power in the year In 1987, his government was toppled and he was executed.
- Since 2015, the country has been fighting an Islamic extremism spread from neighboring Mali. This has fueled the wrath of the military and also harmed the once important tourism industry.
- Surrounded by Burkina Faso, which despite being a gold producer is one of the poorest countries in West Africa, has seen several coups since independence from France in
- Islamic extremists have taken control of many parts of the Burkina Faso region and forced residents in some areas to adhere to their stricter version of Islamic law, while the military’s struggle to quell the insurgency has led to a rare national resources have been exhausted.
Source – The Hindu
