Led by former Nigerian President Issoufou Mahamadou, an ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) delegation visited Burkina Faso on Tuesday, October 4. It was a question for the emissaries of the sub-regional institution, to evaluate the post coup situation in the country. The ECOWAS mission ended on the afternoon of the same Tuesday on a note of satisfaction.
The ECOWAS delegation and its mediator, former Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou, left Burkina Faso confident. They met with traditional and religious leaders, as well as with Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who took power after overthrowing Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba last Friday.
Read also: Burkina: Demonstrators in the streets to protest against the arrival of the ECOWAS mission
“We will report on our mission to the current president of ECOWAS and to the heads of state. But I can already assure you that ECOWAS will remain at the side of the Burkinabe people. We will continue to accompany the Burkinabe people in this very difficult ordeal they are going through., said ECOWAS mediator of Burkina Faso, former Nigerian head of state, Mahamadou Issoufou. déclaré médiateur de la CEDEAO pour le Burkina Faso,l’ex-chef d’État nigérien, Mahamadou Issoufou.
Demonstrators hostile to the presence of ECOWAS on the scene
The meetings between the ECOWAS delegation and the military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré took place at the Ouagadougou airport. Several demonstrators gathered at the scene to show their resentment towards ECOWAS. The latter raised Russian flags and messages against France and the West African organization.
The promise of a return to constitutional order by July 2024
On Tuesday evening, the new strong man of Burkina, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, returned to one of the most important concerns; the return to constitutional order. On this issue, he assured that he would continue to respect the commitments made under Lieutenant Colonel Damiba to ECOWAS, which had pledged in July to hold elections and return civilians to power by July 2024.
The arrival in power of the junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré is the second coup d’état in Burkina Faso in eight months.
