Name? Roch Marc Kaboré
Westphalian identity? Burkinabé
Age? 64
Why is he in the news? This week, Burkinabé President, Roch Marc Kaboré was ousted during a military coup. For the past few months, protesters have opposed the mandate of Kaboré, doubting his ability to address the current security crisis in Burkina Faso. Kaboré’s reign came to an end when he was arrested by the military.
Why do we care? The ousting of President Kaboré and instalment of the military government makes Burkina Faso the third new-formed military government in West Africa (Mali and Guinea previously). Although ECOWAS is strictly opposed to military coups within its members’ states, it is clear that these military leaders do not feel constrained by the institution. So far, we have seen ECOWAS positively and as an anchor of stability, lately, however, it seems like the organisation is losing its grip.
Why should you care? Since 2016, Burkina Faso has faced a security crisis that has only worsened under Kaboré. The human toll of the crisis sees over 2,000 people killed and 1.4 million people displaced due to the various terrorist groups in the country. Anyway, you should care 5/10 about the third military coup in the region..
Who else cares? Russian President, Vladimir Putin, may end up as a winner after Kaboré’s ousting as protesters have supported Russian intervention and potential use of the Wagner Group, specifically the northern Sahel region. Because as per usual, the rest of the world only had time for a tweet condemning the coup, as ECOWAS, the African Union, The United Nations, The United States, and France did.
Any further comments? Kaboré knew that he was always in a vulnerable position. In December 2021, Kaboré fired his Prime Minister, Dabire, and his defence and security ministers in an attempt to appeal to his population and the military, though clearly this wasn’t enough for them …
