Burkina Faso: Buhari condemns coup, asks military leaders to release ousted president

The federal government of Nigeria has condemned the coup that took place recently in Burkina Faso.

According to Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the coup and demanded the release of President Roch Marc Kabore who was detained by a military junta.

The military removed Kabore from office on Monday, blaming him for failing to contain worsening violence by Islamist militants in the country.

Speaking on the development, Onyeama said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has resolved to engage with the leaders of the military junta on the way forward.

The minister spoke with state house correspondents on Friday after the emergency virtual meeting of the ECOWAS apex decision-making body.

He said Nigeria is fully in support of the ECOWAS demand for an immediate return to civil rule, the release of Kaboré, and total cooperation with the regional body “in the process of sorting out the current situation”.

“The position is, of course, we condemn the coup and ask for an immediate return to constitutional order, the release of the president and anybody else who is being detained and to cooperate with ECOWAS and to be part of ECOWAS decisions,” Onyeama said.

“A decision that the chiefs of defence staff of ECOWAS member states should head tomorrow to Burkina Faso to assess the situation, and to be followed immediately by a visit of a team of ministers of foreign affairs of ECOWAS countries, again, to assess the situation and then report to a meeting of the heads of states, and then a definitive decision will be taken as to how to proceed.

“ECOWAS is going to have to engage with the junta.”

On what might happen if the demands are not met, Onyeama said: “That’ll now be for the summit meeting to now take a definitive decision because they would have had the benefit of the input of the chiefs of defence staff, the benefit of the input of the ministers of foreign affairs, who would have gone there, and then they will be in a position to now make an informed and definitive decision.”

Earlier, the junta had said the West African country will return to constitutional order when conditions are right.

Paul-Henri Damiba, leader of the military junta, said he would convene various sections of the country’s society to agree on a roadmap to plan and carry out needed reforms.