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According to a statement read Wednesday evening, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, author of Friday’s putsch in Burkina Faso, has been appointed head of state and supreme head of the national armed forces.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, author of a putsch on Friday in Burkina Faso who has lived through two coups in eight months, was officially appointed president of the country on Wednesday, October 5, according to a declaration entitled Fundamental Act read on national television.
“The President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration (MPSR) assumes the functions of Head of State, Supreme Head of the National Armed Forces”, indicates the Fundamental Act, which completes the Constitution of Burkina “pending the adoption of a transition charter”.
This statement was read by Captain Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho, spokesman for the MPSR, the ruling junta, during a special broadcast on national television.
Send “current affairs”
Captain Traoré assured Monday on RFI radio that he would only expedite “current affairs” until the appointment of a new civilian or military transitional president by “National Assizes” bringing together political, social forces. and civil society, which will have to meet “well before the end of the year”, according to him.
He has overthrown Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba on Fridayhimself came to power by force in January 2022 by overthrowing elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.
The Act adopted on Wednesday specifies that while “awaiting the establishment of the transitional bodies”, the MPSR “is the guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity, permanence and continuity of the State, of respect for international treaties and agreements to which Burkina Faso is a party”. The Constitution, suspended following the putsch on Friday, has been restored and “applies with the exception of its contrary provisions” to the Fundamental Act.
The youngest head of state in the world
Ibrahim Traoré, 34, becomes the youngest head of state in the world, ahead of Chilean Gabriel Boric, 36. He takes the head of a state ravaged by war since 2015, and partly justified his coup by blaming his predecessor Damiba for “the continuous deterioration of the security situation”.
Regular attacks by armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group have killed thousands and displaced some two million people. A majority of the territory escapes the control of the State, in particular on the side of the borders with Mali and Niger.
With AFP
