The Economic Community of West African States described the recent coup in Burkina Faso as inappropriate considering the efforts that has been made to restore the country to constitutional order.
More than a dozen members of Burkina Faso’s army seized control of state television late Friday, declaring that the country’s coup leader-turned-president, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, had been overthrown.
Reacting to the development, ECOWAS on Friday while condemning the coup said the body remains opposed to unconstitutional seizure or rentention of power in any of its member states.
“The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemns in the strongest terms the seizure of power by force that took place in Burkina Faso on Friday 30 September 2022,” the regional bloc said in a statement.
It said it found the new coup inappropriate at a time when progress had been made in ensuring an orderly return to constitutional order by 1 July 2024.
“ECOWAS reaffirms its unreserved opposition to any seizure or retention of power by unconstitutional means and demands the scrupulous respect of the timetable already agreed with the Transitional Authorities for a rapid return to constitutional order…,” it added.
