Burkina Faso’s self-proclaimed military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has accepted a conditional resignation offered by President Paul-Henri Damiba to prevent further violence following Friday’s coup, they said on Sunday. religious and traditional leaders.
Under the agreement, announced at a press conference, Traoré has accepted seven conditions, including guaranteeing the safety of Damiba and the soldiers who support him, and fulfilling promises made to the West African regional bloc to return to constitutional rule. in July 2024.
Damiba could not be reached for comment. A close relative told Reuters he left the country on Sunday.
Traore said earlier that order was being restored after violent protests against the French embassy and days of clashes when his faction tried to topple the government.
Divisions have emerged within the military, and many soldiers appear to be looking to Russia for support as the influence of former colonial power France dwindles.
At least three separate videos shared online on Saturday and Sunday showed soldiers atop armored personnel carriers, waving Russian flags, as the crowd around them chanted “Russia! Russia!” Reuters has not verified the videos.
Traoré’s team urged the population to stop the attacks on the French embassy, the target of the protests after an official said that France had sheltered Damiba in a French military base in the West African country and that he was planning a counteroffensive.
The French Foreign Ministry denied that the base had taken in Damiba after he was expelled on Friday. Damiba also denied being at the base, saying the reports were a deliberate manipulation of public opinion.
“We want to inform the population that the situation is under control and order is being restored,” an army officer said in a statement broadcast on national television.
A separate statement stated that Traoré would continue to serve as president until a transitional civilian or military president is appointed in the coming weeks.
