West Africa presidents head for Burkina Faso to mediate in crisis

The presidents of Senegal, Togo, Benin and Nigeria were due to travel to Burkina Faso’s capital last night on a mission to negotiate the peaceful roll-back of a coup by presidential guard soldiers last week, Burkina Faso’s presidency said.

The heads of state were to travel from an emergency regional summit of leaders from West Africa's ECOWAS bloc in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, convened to discuss the crisis. They were due to be accompanied by the United Nations regional envoy in West Africa.

Earlier, Burkina Faso’s coup leader said he was still in charge despite the passing of an army deadline for his forces to surrender, raising fresh doubts about a return to civilian rule.

General Gilbert Diendere, who seized power last week, said he was ready to negotiate but awaited the outcome of the regional summit in the Nigerian capital.

“I’m not stalling for time. I’m within the time allotted to me,” he told a news conference. “I am still the president of the National Democratic Council (junta).”

Avoiding violence

Meanwhile, the head of Burkina Faso’s army, which has converged on the capital Ouagadougou to disarm Gen Diendere’s forces, yesterday said he was in touch with both the putsch leader and regional mediators as he sought to avoid violence. General Pingrenoma Zagre said the group of regional leaders had instructed him “to take into account the work under way [in Nigeria]”.

“I think in certain circumstances there must be discernment and common sense in order to, as much as possible, avoid fighting,” Zagre said in an interview with French news channel France 24.

The coup has exposed divisions within the powerful security forces of the west African country. Burkina, a former French colony, hosts some 200 French special forces.

Democratic transition

Burkina had been preparing for an election on October 11th which analysts now expect to be delayed. That vote aimed to restore democracy a year after an uprising toppled president Blaise Compaore who had held power for 27 years.

Few people ventured onto the streets of the capital as the deadline set for 10am passed, though a crowd chanted its support for the loyalists. The troops, who control most of the capital, said talks with the coup leaders were underway.

Earlier, loyalists said they were preparing to attack the Camp Naba Koom army base near the presidential palace, which is held by presidential guard troops who staged the coup.

Compaore himself seized power in a coup in the landlocked country, one of the poorest in sub-Saharan Africa, and for decades the military has played a substantial role.

The uprising against him was seen as a beacon for democracy campaigners seeking to impose term limits on long time African rulers.

– Reuters