Africans Rising for Justice, Peace & Dignity condemns the coup by armed forces in Burkina Faso. We know the military takeover is a manifestation of citizens’ frustrations with the country’s leadership, but a coup is never a long-term solution for peace.
As we have seen across the continent, a coup d’etat is often a symptom of a people and a country that feel their constitutional governments are unable to bring promised development and stability. Such is the case in Burkina Faso, where years of protests have been held by activists and concerned citizens calling out their government’s inability to protect them from terrorist attacks, which have resulted in over 2000 deaths since 2016 and the displacement of more than 1.5 million Burkinabes in the past decade.
“The people of Burkina Faso are tired of living under the threat of violence and they demand a political leadership that can effectively defend their human right to safe and secure living,” said Muhammed Lamin Saidykhan, Africans Rising Movement Co-Coordinator. “As a Pan-African movement of the people, Africans Rising fully supports their rights to a peaceful existence and a stable democratic government.”
We call on military leaders for the safe release of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré from detainment. We strongly urge the Junta to engage in a peaceful resolution to the recent mutiny and to hand over civilian rule as immediately as possible. During this time, the military must respect all the freedoms granted to Burkinabes, including the freedoms of movement and expression.
We call on international bodies like ECOWAS and the African Union to take measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Burkina Faso’s citizens are protected during this critical moment. International human rights organizations, like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, must be vigilant observers of the events developing in the country so that any issues of injustice can be addressed by the appropriate authorities.
Africans Rising hopes to see a prompt return to civilian leadership in Burkina Faso. It is with the people that our movement stands.
