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Thinking Burkina Faso, Thinking Africa

By Editorial Board
25 October 2015   |   3:30 am
WHEN the march to full democratisation was temporarily halted by some renegades in the elite presidential guards in Burkina Faso the other day, it was a commendable development that African leaders under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) rose to the occasion and ensured a return to normalcy.
PHOTO: www.france24.com

PHOTO: www.france24.com

WHEN the march to full democratisation was temporarily halted by some renegades in the elite presidential guards in Burkina Faso the other day, it was a commendable development that African leaders under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) rose to the occasion and ensured a return to normalcy.

The putschists had succeeded earlier in sacking the transition government of President Michel Kafando, Prime Minister Isaac Zida and the cabinet. That temporary setback has now been turned into a robust comeback bid for democracy while making a statement that Africa has finally outgrown the mentality of coup détat by desperate soldiers whose lust for power knows no bounds.

For Burkina Faso, and by extension Africa, checkmating the ambitious men of the presidential guards, incidentally a creation of the ousted former President Blaise Campaore, is a good development and such audacious effort by lovers of democracy against agents of destabilisation in Africa should be sustained at any cost. The guards, led by a certain Gilbert Diendere, are suspected sympathisers of Campaore, a situation, which hinted at the former leader’s interest in current developments in Burkina Faso with a view to returning to power for whatever purpose. It is indeed good that Africa has said no!

Against this backdrop, credit should go to the country’s military, which loyally resisted the antics of the 1,300-strong self-seeking men of the presidential guard to see to the return of the transition team. The citizens who expressed disapproval of another junta, similar to their opposition to the failed tenure elongation plot by Campaore and his eventual forced exit to exile in Ivory Coast a year ago must also be commended. Burkinabes are, therefore, the true heroes and the reported 10 dead in the latest anti-coup protests as well as over a hundred injured others are martyrs of the struggle whose names must be written in gold in the history of that country.

Even though as bodies such as the Africa Union and ECOWAS, also deserve commendations over the roles played in the eventual restoration of the transition government, the people of Africa should now know that they, the people, have the responsibility to make democracy thrive and make Africa prosper.

Nigeria undoubtedly displayed a renewed sense of leadership in the ECOWAS by its quick rally of other leaders to a summit in Abuja, which mandated a six-man committee of leaders to get the government back in place. That statement of resolve by both the AU and the ECOWAS to allow military interventions in Africa was firm and reassuring.

The immediate response of the international community to the crisis was equally heartwarming – from the rejection of the coup by the UN Secretary-General to the hard-line views of the United States, which frowned at “any attempt to seize power through extra-constitutional means or resolve internal political disagreements using force,” and France’s (President Francois Hollande) indignation at the mutiny when “an electoral process was under way”. That unity purpose helped in no small measure in the resolution of the crisis.

The Burkina Faso case clearly shows the peculiar way in which Africa deals with transition, and the fact that proclivity for sitting tight on the part of leaders remains a general affliction in Africa. It has always been difficult for greedy leaders to abide by the tenets of democracy and it is apparent that even if the current crisis is resolved in Ouagadougou, problematic transition is likely to endure as a phenomenon.

Political, ethnic and religious divides still keep people suspicious of one another, just as the shadows of colonialism loom large in most countries. These and many other cleavages become avenues to be exploited by leaders to perpetuate themselves in office. There is a pressing need to build internal capacity in many African countries in order to deepen democracy.

The good news is that the elite guard in Burkina Faso has been disbanded after the interim government was reinstated and such reprehensible act may not repeat itself given the full weight of sanctions or heavy hammer of disapproval already brought upon the putschists.

Happily, from all indications Campaore’s allies have lost out in the struggle for power, reaffirming the transition team’s original intention to keep out renegades who are likely to pollute the fresh air in the democratic space. The present situation, therefore, calls for consolidation. And regional leaders must not rest until peace is assured while Burkina Faso returns as a democratic nation.

As transitional parliament head, Moumina Cheriff Sy said, “the transition was put in place by the will of the people…a small group is not going to change that.”

The will of Burkinabes must be allowed to prevail.

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