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Vol. 79/No. 35      October 5, 2015

 
Special forces coup comes apart in Burkina Faso
 
BY MICHEL PRAIRIE  
A coup led by a small, specialized military unit and some civilian supporters of former President Blaise Compaoré in the West African country of Burkina Faso came apart after one week as the previous government was restored. The coup was met with sustained nationwide protests involving thousands and received no backing from imperialist powers, regional governments, the rest of the military or other bourgeois forces.

On Sept. 16 members of the Presidential Security Regiment stormed a meeting of the Council of Ministers and arrested interim President Michel Kafando and interim Prime Minister Isaac Zida. The next morning regiment leaders announced they had dissolved the interim government put in place last year following huge mobilizations across the country that toppled Compaoré. He seized power in a 1987 coup that killed President Thomas Sankara, central leader of the 1983-87 popular democratic revolution in the country.

Leaders of the country’s regular army told the regiment to disarm and stand down as troops began to march on Ouagadougou, the capital.

On Sept. 23 coup leader Gen. Gilbert Diendere signed a deal brokered by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States. The Kafando government is restored; Diendere stands down, but is guaranteed amnesty along with his soldiers and their families; and the army withdraws from the capital.

Burkina Faso is among the poorest nations in the world. Gains made by the Sankara-led revolution were reversed by Compaoré’s regime in order to attract foreign capitalist investments in gold mining and cotton production. Over 27 years in power, it became one of imperialism’s strongest allies in the region.

It is unclear whether presidential and legislative elections that were scheduled for Oct. 11 will occur.  
 
 
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