The Army has got widespread support from the people as they believe the international community is not doing anything against terrorist violence in Burkina Faso. For now, the military takeover is fine. But if the Army thinks it can handle the terror threat posed by the Islamists, it is mistaken. The jehadi network is too big to be crushed by the ill-equipped Army of Burkina Faso. With the growing economic and political instability in the country, the jehadi will be able to strike back and spread more terror across this poor nation
Burkina Faso, a West African country, has fallen into the hands of the country’s military. Its armed forces have ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore who was in power since 2015. The main reason behind the military takeover seems for now is to crush the growing tide of Islamic fundamentalist forces as the Kabore failed to tackle the menace. The mutinous soldiers quietly stormed his house and took him to safe custody. Meanwhile, Captain Sidore Kader Ouderaogo, the spokesperson of the military, who addressed the media immediately after the coup, said that the military has dissolved the Government and the National Assembly and suspended the Constitution.
Why the Army has taken such a drastic and immediate step? For long, both the Army and the people have been complaining about the inaction of Kabore against the rising militancy of al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) in the country. And the deposed President was not adequately supporting the security forces in the fight against fast-engulfing insurgency of the jehadi.
How serious was the threat posed by the Islamic militancy in the country? Indeed, the chaos sparked by the Islamic jehadi is spreading in this poor nation, similar to what is happening in many other African nations. And the Government of Kabore has been facing growing public criticism for a long time for failing to stem the roots of militants’ insurgency. These terror groups have brought a large swathe of lands under their control by displacing about 1.4 million people over the years.
The statement released by the Army came from an organisation called the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration or MPSR. Precisely, the MPSR is an almost unheard identity that claims to represent almost all factions of the Army that desperately wanted to put an end to the reign of Kabore.
The military leader behind the quiet coup in Burkina Faso, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, once started his career as a part of the prestigious presidential guard of former President Blaise Compaore, who ruled the country till 2014. Compaore had to quit as massive popular uprising came up against him all around the country. Damiba studied in France at a military academy and had a master’s in criminal sciences from there. Interestingly, he had been in the forefront in the country’s fight against Islamic militancy in the past. He also opposed a military coup in 2015 that lasted for nearly a week. The 41-year-old officer penned down a book on Islamic militancy in 2021 called “West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Responses?” It is Damiba who could now save the country from slipping into an abyss. Ironically, the chaos in Burkina Faso did not all emerge in the country itself. Its roots lie in neighbouring Mali, a long terror-infested nation that has witnessed the evil designs of major Islamic groups of western Africa.
Islamic militancy has been on the rise in Burkina Faso since 2015. Nearly 2,000 lives have been lost in terror attack since then. In fact, schools are getting closed in several parts of the country as terror attacks and networks have become rampant. In June 2021, the terrorists had taken the lives of 100 people in the northern village of Solhan. And this time, terrorists have crossed over to Burkina Faso from neighbouring Mali. This Solhan saga prompted the Opposition forces to demand the immediate resignation of Kabore. He then had to immediately reshuffle the Government and appointed himself as the Defence Minister of the country. But by November 2021, another ghastly attack on the Inata military base ramped up the cry against the Government all over the country. During this attack, more than 50 security men were killed. The worst part of the tragedy was that these soldiers were sending requests for food and more ammunitions two weeks before the attack which never reached them. This being another setback for Kabore, he immediately sacked the Government by appointing a new Prime Minister and Defence Minister ahead of national reconciliation dialogue with the Opposition.
How the trouble started in Burkina Faso? Despite West Africa’s security and political volatility, Burkina Faso enjoyed a relatively calm atmosphere for some years in the past. But this fragile stability did not last for long time. It all came to a halt when a popular uprising suddenly brought down the regime of long-time former President Compaore in 2014. Again, a military coup in 2015 left the country’s military widely divided about the future of the nation. And in the same year, Kabore was elected on a promise to unify the country.
Clearly, the trouble began in Burkina Faso with the coming of Campaore to power in the year 1987. He took power in that year through a coup and managed the first four elections till 2010. But in the same year, his election victory was widely contested. Also people and Opposition parties came out to protest his attempt to amend the country’s Constitution and extend his rule. Finally, he had to quit in 2014 and took refuge in Ivory Coast. And then, his former Prime Minister and national assembly President Kampore took over in November 2015.
From 2015 onwards, capital city Ouagadougou and most parts of the north of the country encountered constant kidnappings and attacks mounted by various terror groups either affiliated to al-Qaeda or the ISIS. On January 15, 2016, the jihadists attacked the posh Splendid Hotel and a restaurant killing nearly 30 people, mostly westerners. This sudden strike of the Islamists shocked the Western Governments, particularly the year-old Government of Kampore. Further, this indicated the vulnerability of the security system at the very heart of the country. By 2017, the former colonial power France backed G5 forces began its cross border joint operations in three West African nations — Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
However, with all these multi-national operations, the jihadists did not relent their targeted attacks. This time, the terror outfits mounted their assault on French forces and its embassy in the capital, killing 8 soldiers and injuring about 85 civilians in the beginning of the year 2018. The Government of Kampore couldn’t be of much help against the massive forces of the terrorists. But Ouagadougou simply clamped a national emergency in various provinces by the end of the 2018. And the worst descended in Burkina Faso in 2019. Terror-related incidents have become a regular affair across the country, almost pushing the country into the brink of a massive civil war like scenario.
A helpless Kampore, by putting all the blames on the Armed Forces, simply sacked the head of the Army and brought a new government to the capital. This time by the end of 2019, Burkina Faso saw a massive attack by the armed fighters over an army base near Mali border, called Arbinda that led to the death of more than 42 people. In the midst of the crisis, Kampore got re-elected to the presidency in November 2020, but many voters could not cast their ballot because of the wide-ranging threats from the radical groups. And Kampore’s second term witnessed chaos across Burkina Faso.
Meanwhile, the UN, the West African bloc known as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union condemned the sudden power grab by the Burkina Faso military. Currently, the whereabouts of Kabore, who won the second term in office in 2020 is not known. Many of the anti-government protesters who directly supported military takeover say that the ECOWAS does not care about their country and the international community is simply condemning terrorist violence in Burkina Faso.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that he strongly condemns any attempted takeover of government by the force of arms, calling it a coup. He also said that the coup leaders must lay down their arms and ensure the safety of the President and the protection of the country’s institutions. Both the ECOWAS and the African Union held the soldiers responsible for safety of Kabore. The US said it is deeply concerned about the developments in Burkina Faso and urged a swift return to civilian rule. JosepBorrell, the European Union’s High Representative, said the bloc was very worried about the evolution of the situation in Burkina Faso. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup and said that he planned to hold talks on the matter with regional leaders. Till 1960, Burkina Faso was a French colony when it got independence.
Interestingly, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also reacted to the political developments in Burkina Faso and called for all parties in the country to peacefully resolve differences via dialogue and safeguard national stability.
For now, the military takeover is fine. If the Army thinks, it can handle the terror threat posed by the Islamists, it is purely misguided. This jehadi network is too big to be countered by the ill-equipped Army of Burkina Faso. With the growing economic and political instability in the country, now the fundamentalists will be able to strike back and spread more terror across this poor nation.
(Dr Makhan Saikia has taught political science and international relations for over a decade in institutions of national and international repute after specialisation in globalisation and governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He is the chief editor of the Journal of Global Studies, an international research journal)
