Ecowas sends delegation to Burkina Faso over political crisis

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The West African regional bloc, Ecowas has sanctioned a delegation to hold talks with Burkina Faso’s coup leaders in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The team’s visit to the country on Monday is to among others assess the political situation there after soldiers seized power.

President Roch Kaboré was ousted by the soldiers blaming him for failing to contain worsening violence by Islamist militants.

ECOWAS last week suspended Burkina Faso from the regional bloc as it demands an immediate return to constitutional rule.

West African leaders said after their virtual meeting last Friday that the delegation to Ouagadougou will be hoping to help restore democracy to the country.

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The Ecowas ministerial-level mission will be joined by a UN delegation led by the head of the UN’s office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Saleh Annadif.

The joint team will hold talks with the Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba-led junta, as well as various Burkinabè actors.

On Thursday another Ecowas summit on Burkina Faso will take place in Ghana’s capital Accra.

At last week’s virtual summit, ECOWAS chair and Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo expressed regret at the resurgence of coups in the sub-region.

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“The resurgence of coup d’états in our regions is in direct violation of our democratic tenets and represents a threat to peace, security and stability in West Africa. This situation hinders the much needed economic and social development of the region,” Akufo-Addo said.

Burkina Faso’s new military leader Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba said last Thursday that the country would only return to constitutional order when conditions are right.

“When the conditions are right, according to the deadline that our people will define in all sovereignty, I commit to a return to a normal constitutional order,” Damiba said.

Source: Africafeeds.com