“The government is calling on people to calm down and stay safe. restraint, at the risk of plunging our country into a cycle of endless demonstrations, detrimental to our objectives of peace, stability and security, wanted for our populations,” by government spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo.
“He invites young people in particular to not to be diverted, and to focus on operational defense objectives in the total war we are waging against terrorism (…) rather than on manifestations of the kind, whose benefits for the cause of the struggle of our people remain at prove”, continues this text.
The French Embassy targeted
On Friday, the Burkinabè have dispersed to Ouagadougou a demonstration against the presence of France in Burkina Faso. These demonstrations which aimed at mainly the French Embassy in Ouagadougou, also extended to the French military base at; Kamboinsin, on the outskirts of the capital, where is parked a special forces contingent of the Saber force.
On Saturday, the Burkinabè assured that it “will not derogate from the rules and principles of protection due to diplomats and diplomatic representations present on Burkinabe soil”.
First ;res demonstrations at the end of October
On October 28, several hundred people had already manifested to demand “departure within 72 hours” from France to Burkina Faso. France’s interests in Burkina, including the Embassy and two French Institutes, had been taken at party by demonstrators at on the occasion of the September 30 coup which brought in power a young captain of 34 years, Ibrahim Traoré, invested since president of the transition.
In several French-speaking African countries, Moscow enjoys growing popular support when France, a former colonial power, is increasingly reviled there, by putschist soldiers since 2020.
A rapprochement with Russia not excluded ?
In Burkina, the ruling junta has not closed down the door to; a rapprochement with Russia but did not show hostility to France, which continues to support the Burkinabe army; in its anti-jihadist struggle. On Saturday, in his general policy statement, Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyélem de Tembela however considered that that “some partners have not always been loyal,” without naming countries.
“”How can we understand that terrorism has plagued our country since 2015, in indifference, if not with the complicity ; of some of our so-called partners?” he asked. “We will try, as much as possible, to diversify our partnership relations until find the right formula for Burkina Faso”s interests,” Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group have caused thousands of deaths and provoked the displacement of some two million people since 2015.
