The transitional president of Burkina Faso, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba addressed the nation on Friday. In his message, he said that the 36-month transition period is subject to change if the security situation in the country improves. “No fixation should be made on the duration of the transition because it could be revised if the security situation improves in the coming months in areas facing security challenges,” said the president of the transition in Burkina Faso.
Ahead of the lieutenant’s statement, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expressed “concern” about the 36-month term proposed by the new authorities in Burkina Faso.
Thus, President Damiba reassured that security is “the primary objective of our actions and will remain our daily struggle for a return to peace and stability. Our determination in this fight against insecurity and terrorism is unwavering.
This is why the man who organised the putsch of 24 January in Burkina Faso hopes that things will soon be sorted out so that the country can quickly regain its democratic momentum. “I invite Burkina Faso’s partners and the international community to accompany and support the Burkinabe people in their fight against terrorism so that the conditions for organising free, transparent and secure elections can be met as soon as possible. Because, he concludes, “the sooner we get this situation under control, the sooner we can return to a normal constitutional order.
As a reminder, on Tuesday 1st March 2022, a constitutional charter for the transition was signed by the head of the junta in Burkina Faso, setting the transition period before new elections at 36 months. It should also be noted that former president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was taken hostage by the junta under house arrest.
As a result, ECOWAS, at the end of its session on 25 March, threatened to impose new sanctions on Burkina Faso if the junta did not release the former president by 31 March 2022, according to the final communiqué of the meeting of heads of state of the West African organisation.
ECOWAS specifies that in case of non-compliance with its demands, it will impose sanctions against members of the government and the National Transitional Council (CNT). The transitional authorities in Burkina Faso will also face “individual sanctions” if they do not comply.
