One week after a coup ousted the elected President of Burkina Faso, Kabore, the military junta announced the restoration of constitutional order.
A spokesman of the military notified the population in a statement read on television on Monday that the junta had approved a “fundamental act”. The 37-article document “lifts the suspension of the constitution”, after its suspension in the aftermath of the January 24 coup.
According to the statement, it guarantees independence of the judiciary and presumption of innocence, as well as basic liberties spelled out in the the June 2, 1991 Constitution such as freedom of movement and freedom of speech as well as it secures power in the hands of the military.
Under the “fundamental act,” the junta — officially named the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR) — “ensures the continuity of the state pending the establishment of transitional bodies.” A transition that was given no timeline so far.
Spokesperson of the MPSR read that the statement formally identified coup leader Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as president of the MPSR. This role also encompasses “president of Burkina Faso, head of state (and) supreme leader of the armed forces” as Lit. Col. Cyprien Kabore.
The African Union suspended Burkina Faso a week after the volatile country suffered its latest coup. The AU’s Political Affairs Peace and Security department announce the decision in a tweet.
Leaders from the West African bloc will hold a summit in Accra on Thursday to assess its two missions to see whether they should impose sanctions.
President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was overthrown after months of anti-government protests demanding his resignation.