2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état
A coup d'état was launched in Burkina Faso on 23 January 2022. Gunfire erupted in front of the presidential residence in the Burkinabé capital Ouagadougou and several military barracks around the city. Soldiers were reported to have seized control of the military base in the capital. However, the government denied there was an ongoing coup in the country. Several hours later, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was reported to have been detained by the soldiers at the military camp in the capital. On 24 January, the military announced on television that Kaboré had been deposed  from his position as president. After the announcement, the military declared that the parliament, government and constitution had been dissolved. The coup d'état was led by military officer Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. A statement from the Twitter account of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré urged dialogue and invited the opposing soldiers to lay down arms but did not address whether he was in detention. Meanwhile, soldiers were reported to have surrounded the state news station RTB. AFP News reported the president had been arrested along with other government officials. Two security officials said at the Sangoulé Lamizana barracks in the capital , "President Kaboré, the head of parliament, and the ministers are effectively in the hands of the soldiers". Military captain Sidsoré Kader Ouedraogo said the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration "has decided to assume its responsibilities before history." In a statement, he said soldiers were putting an end to Kaboré's presidency because of the deteriorating security situation amid the deepening Islamic insurgency and the president's inability to manage the crisis. He also said the new military leaders would work to establish a calendar "acceptable to everyone" for holding new elections, without giving further details. ECOWAS and African Union  suspended Burkina Faso's membership in the aftermath of the coup. On 31 January, the military junta restored the constitution and appointed Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as interim president. Background. Following the First Libyan Civil War and the concurrent NATO intervention in 2011, Islamist attacks in Burkina Faso and neighboring Mali became more common. Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been fighting Islamic State and al-Qaeda in some parts of the country. However, military personnel complained about a lack of military equipment and logistics. This caused discontent among the military ranks, members of which criticized the government's lack of  effort combating jihadist groups. Former CIA political analyst Michael Shurkin stated the army is "ill equipped and unprepared" for battle. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was elected for his second term as president in the 2020 Burkinabé general election. Kaboré's government faced regular protests due to the handling of the ongoing jihadi crisis in the country. In December 2021, Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré was fired from his post amid an escalating security crisis. On 22 January 2022, anti-government protests erupted in the capital. The protesters were reportedly angered by the government's inability to stop armed attacks  across the country. Several protesters asked for the resignation of President Kaboré. Coup. In August 2021, 100 members of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces planned to take over the country. Some of the soldiers said the planning was outside the capital via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. Earlier, the ruling People's Movement for Progress party said that both Kaboré and a government minister had survived an assassination attempt. On 11 January 2022, two weeks prior to the successful coup, the government reportedly thwarted a coup attempt in the country. On 23 January 2022, multiple gunshots were  heard near the president's private residence in the capital. On Monday morning, local time, several vehicles of the presidential motorcade were found riddled with bullet holes nearby Kaboré's residence. Whereas the military claimed the takeover had been nonviolent, of the discovered cars, one was found stained with blood. Defense Minister Bathelemy Simpore denied rumors of a coup d'état happening in the country and urged the people to return to normal activities in the wake of the gunshots. However, hours later, several news stations reported that President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré had been detained. Kaboré was reportedly detained in  the military barracks of the capital, while his whereabouts or situation were still unknown. By the afternoon, the military had taken over the headquarters of the state-run Radio Télévision du Burkina. The headquarters of the ruling People's Movement for Progress was reported to have been torched and looted by pro-military protesters. A statement from the Twitter account of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré urged dialogue and invited the soldiers to lay down arms but did not address whether he was in detention. NetBlocks reported that internet access had been disrupted amid instability in the country. Meanwhile, soldiers were  reported to have surrounded the state broadcaster RTB. AFP News reported the president had been arrested along with other government officials. Two security officials said at the Sangoule Lamizana barracks in the capital, "President Kaboré, head of parliament Sakandé, prime minister Zerbo, and the ministers are effectively in the hands of the soldiers". On the same day, the military announced on television that Kaboré had been deposed from his position as president. After the announcement, the military declared the parliament, government and constitution had been dissolved. The coup d'état was led by military officer Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. Military captain  Sidsore Kaber Ouedraogo said the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR) "has decided to assume its responsibilities before history." In a statement, he said soldiers were putting an end to Kaboré's presidency because of the deteriorating security situation amid the deepening Islamic insurgency and the president's inability to manage the crisis. He also said the new military leaders would work to establish a calendar "acceptable to everyone" for holding new elections, without giving further details. The junta spokesman told reporters that the coup had taken place "without any physical violence against those arrested, who are being held  in a safe place, with respect for their dignity." Aftermath. After the coup was launched, the new junta government suspended the government, parliament, and constitution. National borders were shut down and the junta imposed nationwide curfew between 21:00 GMT to 05:00 GMT. The junta government announced they will work to organize fresh elections that will be "acceptable to everyone" without giving further details. The MPSR shared a hand-written resignation letter by Kaboré, which was also signed, with its authenticity being verified by Reuters. "In the interests of the nation, following events that took place since yesterday, I have decided  to resign from my role as president of Burkina Faso," said the letter. A large crowd gathered in the capital Ouagadougou's national square and celebrated the coup, playing music, singing, blowing horns and dancing. Terrestrial television through 9 private channels were blocked amid armed attack on account of license fee sharing. African Union and ECOWAS suspended Burkina Faso in the aftermath of the coup. On 31 January, the military junta restored the constitution and appointed Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as interim president. He was sworn in as President on 16 February. On March 1, 2022, a charter planning a  3 year-transition process was approved. The transition period should be followed by the holding of elections. The day after, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was invested President of Burkina Faso. On 4 March, the military junta appointed Albert Ouedraogo as the interim Prime Minister. On April 6, the interim government announced that President Kaboré was released and allowed to go home after being held for almost three months. The Government Information Service (GIS - SIG in French) announced that he remains under surveillance to ensure his security. The information was released in an official press release and shared on social media . Reactions. Domestic. On 24 January, several residents in the capital were seen showing their support to the coup. There were reports that some citizens had taken to the street, burning tires to show solidarity with the soldiers. Some youth groups were also reported to have stormed the RTB headquarters to show their support of the military junta. On 25 January, a large crowd gathered in the capital Ouagadougou's national square and celebrated the coup, playing music, singing, blowing horns and dancing. BBC senior Africa correspondent Anne Soy said the news of the president’s detention was received with cheers  and celebrations in Ouagadougou. A Reuters reporter saw a group burning a French flag, which Reuters described as "a sign of growing frustration about the military role the former colonial power still plays in the region". The reporter also said he saw Russian flags dotting the crowd, and heard several demonstrators calling on Russia to replace France in the fight against jihadists. Al Jazeera journalist Sam Mednick, said there was "a lot of support for this coup" amid the country's security crisis, he also said people had been rallying and chanting: "Down, down with ECOWAS" over its comments and  threat of sanctions. The ruling People's Movement for Progress denounced the coup, calling it an "assassination attempt" against the president and government.