Another Coup in West Africa: The Burkina Faso Military Seizes Power
Hold Your Fire!28 Tammi 2022

Another Coup in West Africa: The Burkina Faso Military Seizes Power

Burkina Faso is the latest in a string of African states to fall victim to a military coup. Late January saw Burkinabé soldiers oust President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, dissolve the government and suspend the country's constitution. Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, the coup leader, has promised to address burgeoning violence across much of Burkina’s countryside. Fighting between jihadist militants and the army, together with state-backed militias, has over the past few years killed thousands and displaced 1.5 million people. Many Burkinabé, frustrated at the government’s inability to curb violence, took to the streets in celebration at the military’s power grab. The Burkina coup is the fifth in Africa over the past year, part of a worrying uptick in military takeovers on the continent.


This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Rinaldo Depagne, Crisis Group’s deputy Africa director and an expert on Burkina Faso, to talk about the coup and its ramifications. They discuss the instability across parts of Burkina that fuelled anger within the population and military, paving the way for the coup. They talk about what Damiba and the military will do next, how his power grab might impact the country’s struggles against Islamist militancy and how it might shape politics in West Africa and the Sahel more broadly. They look at the Burkina coup alongside other military takeovers on the continent and discuss what is driving more frequent coups and the dilemmas the trend poses regional organisations, Western powers and the UN.


For more information, explore Crisis Group’s analysis on our Sahel regional page and keep an eye out for an upcoming Q&A.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(224)

Can the U.S. Address Migration’s “Root Causes” in Central America?

Can the U.S. Address Migration’s “Root Causes” in Central America?

Over recent years, an estimated million and a half Central Americans have made the journey up to the U.S. seeking a better life. Many are fleeing political instability, corruption, poverty or gang vio...

17 Joulu 202147min

Russia in Africa

Russia in Africa

After a post-Cold War hiatus, Russia is returning to Africa. Through both traditional diplomacy and the deployment of security contractors, Moscow’s influence on the continent is growing. Particularly...

10 Joulu 202142min

Will Russia Invade Ukraine?

Will Russia Invade Ukraine?

Over recent weeks, some 100,000 Russian troops have massed on the Ukrainian border -- for the second time this year. Ukrainian officials warn of a potential Russian invasion; Western leaders warn of s...

3 Joulu 202137min

Western Policy and Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Devastation

Western Policy and Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Devastation

Afghanistan is on the brink of becoming the world’s worst humanitarian emergency. Western governments responded to the Taliban takeover in August by suspending aid, freezing state assets and imposing ...

26 Marras 202150min

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte: Populist or Peacemaker?

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte: Populist or Peacemaker?

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends next June. Abroad, Duterte is arguably best known for a brutal anti-drug campaign which has killed thousands of people, prompting the International Cr...

19 Marras 202138min

Bosnia Unravelling?

Bosnia Unravelling?

Bosnia faces what the current international High Representative to the country, Christian Schmidt, calls “its greatest existential threat of the post-war period”. It is grappling with dual crises that...

12 Marras 202133min

Will Tigrayan Rebels Attack Ethiopia’s capital?

Will Tigrayan Rebels Attack Ethiopia’s capital?

This week, as Ethiopia’s civil war enters its second year, Tigrayan rebels captured the strategically placed cities of Dessie and Kombolcha, only hours away from the country’s capital Addis Ababa. Pri...

5 Marras 202137min

The Military’s Dangerous Power Grab in Sudan

The Military’s Dangerous Power Grab in Sudan

On 25 October, Sudan’s military leaders ousted the country’s civilian government, detaining Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and several of his ministers. The coup took place two and a half years after a...

29 Loka 202138min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
rss-pinnalla
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
tervo-halme
rss-podme-livebox
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-asiastudio
aihe
the-ulkopolitist
otetaan-yhdet
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-girls-finish-f1rst
rikosmyytit
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-50100-podcast
linda-maria