The 2014 Burkina Faso uprising was a series of demonstrations and

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

s in

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

in October 2014 that quickly spread to multiple cities. They began in response to attempts at changing the constitution to allow

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Blaise Compaoré Blaise Compaoré (born 3 February 1951)''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders'' (2003), page 76–77.

to run again and extend his 27 years in office. Pressure for political change came from civil society and in particular from the country's youth. Following a tumultuous day on 30 October, which included the involvement of former Defence Minister

Kouamé Lougué General Kouamé Lougué is a Burkinabé politician and soldier who served as Defence Minister from 2000 to 2004 under President Blaise Compaoré Blaise Compaoré (born 3 February 1951)''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Le ...

and the burning of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

and other government buildings as well as the ruling

Congress for Democracy and Progress The Congress for Democracy and Progress (french: Congrès pour la Démocratie et le Progrès, ''CDP'') was the ruling party in Burkina Faso from 1996 until the overthrow of Blaise Compaoré in 2014. History The party was founded in February 199 ...

party's headquarters, Compaoré dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency before eventually fleeing to

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

with the support of President

Alassane Ouattara Alassane Dramane Ouattara (; ; born 1 January 1942) is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) since 2010. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)Honoré Nabéré Traoré announced that a transitional government would run the country until an election within 12 months. After another day of mass protests and initially refusing to resign, after mounting domestic pressure Compaoré resigned from his 27-year presidency on 31 October and Traoré took over as the interim head of state. However, Lieutenant Colonel

Yacouba Isaac Zida Yacouba Isaac Zida (born 16 November 1965) is a Burkinabé military officer who briefly served as Burkina Faso's acting head of state in November 2014. He took power in the aftermath of the 2014 Burkinabé uprising, sidelining a more senior off ...

also staked a claim to be interim head of state citing Traoré's unpopularity. A statement by military chiefs asserted that Zida had their unanimous backing. A coalition of unnamed opposition parties rejected the military takeover. Further protests were called for the morning of 2 November, but were smaller yet there was at least one casualty amidst a police response. The

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

gave the country a fortnight to end military rule from 3 November. By mid-November, a framework was agreed upon unanimously for a transitional executive and legislative administration.

Background

Following an amendment in 2000, the

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

limits presidents to two terms of five years. However, the restrictions were not applied retroactively, allowing President

Blaise Compaoré Blaise Compaoré (born 3 February 1951)''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders'' (2003), page 76–77.

, who had been in office since 1987, to run for a further two terms and be re-elected in

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

and

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. In regards to the 2015 presidential election, Compaoré tried to extend his 27 years in power by enacting a

constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...

to lift

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

s. As a result, the opposition called for protests against the measure that was sitting in parliament. Some people suggested the move could "spark an uprising." The Burkinabé Spring also called for change amid a stagnant economy and a non-responsive state, which was met with some concessions. The events magnified a divide, and distrust, between the regular army and the special units, such as the

Regiment of Presidential Security The Regiment of Presidential Security (french: Régiment de la sécurité présidentielle, RSP), sometimes known as the Presidential Security Regiment, was the secret service organisation responsible for VIP security to the President of Burkina F ...

Protests

Initial

Protests started in late October. Unnamed opposition called for a blockade of parliament. On 28 October, there were street battles during an anti-government rally by hundreds of thousands of demonstrators. The next day, though, banks, shops and markets reopened.

Movement of People for Progress Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy F ...

(MPP) member

Pargui Emile Paré Pargui Emile Paré is a Burkinabé politician and member of the People's Movement for Socialism/Federal Party (MPS/FP). Running as candidate of the Socialist Alliance, a coalition of the MPS/FP and Unified Socialist Party (PSU). In the 13 N ...

said that "one thing is certain: we'll march on the parliament n 30 October" On 29 October, a mass rally accompanied by street battles took place against a "constitutional coup" involving hundreds of thousands of people.

30 October

The most serious events occurred on 30 October with the gathering of tens of thousands of people. Protesters also compared Compaoré to the Ebola virus amidst the

2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in Western Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...

. Police used tear gas to deter the demonstrators, yet they broke through police lines to torch government buildings, including the city hall building, and the ruling

(CDP) party's headquarters. The crowd headed to the presidential palace, while the military fired

rubber bullet Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are a type of baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component. Altho ...

s at about 1,500 people storming the

National Assembly of Burkina Faso The unicameral National Assembly is Burkina Faso's legislative body. In 1995, it became the lower house of a bicameral Parliament, but the upper house ( Chamber of Representatives) was abolished in 2002. The upper house was to have been restored ...

. Protesters burnt documents and stole computer equipment, while cars outside the building were set ablaze. Parts of the parliament building were also on fire, including the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

Soungalo Ouattara's office, but the main chamber was untouched. The presidential guard fired on civilians charging into the home of the President's brother,

François Compaoré François Compaoré (born 11 January 1954) is a Burkinabé politician. He was Economic Adviser to the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, from 1989 to 2014; he is Compaoré's younger brother. Life and career At the Fifth Ordinary Congr ...

, leading to at least three deaths. The state broadcaster ''RTB'''s building for its radio unit, Maison de la Radio (which was under renovation), and television were also stormed. At the television unit's building, protesters posed on the set of the evening news programme, while soldiers were deployed outside the Maison de la Radio with an armored personnel carrier to defend it from the crowd. Five people were reported killed during the day. Some soldiers, including former Defence Minister General

, joined the protests. Unnamed opposition activists claimed there had been 30 deaths. The

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

reported that in an area where MPs live two houses were burning and smoke was billowing from two or three more, while Hotel Azalai was on fire. State-television was off-air, while the

3G network 3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. It is the upgrade over 2G, 2.5G, GPRS and 2.75G Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution networks, offering faster data transfer, and better voice quality. This n ...

and

SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...

services were blocked, but internet access and telephones were available. Violent protests also occurred in the country's second largest city

Bobo-Dioulasso Bobo-Dioulasso is a city in Burkina Faso with a population of 904,920 (); it is the second-largest city in the country, after Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The name means "home of the Bobo-Dioula". The local Bobo-speaking population (re ...

, including the toppling of statues and the local CDP headquarters, and in

Ouahigouya Ouahigouya is a town in northern Burkina Faso. It is the capital of the Yatenga Province and one of its subdivisions the Ouahigouya Department. It is also the biggest town in the Nord Region (Burkina Faso), Nord Region. It is the fourth largest c ...

, in the north.

Ouagadougou airport Ouagadougou Airport , officially Thomas Sankara International Airport Ouagadougou, is an international airport in the center of the capital city of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. It was built in the 1960s, and it is approximately southeast of th ...

was closed and all arriving and departing flights were canceled until further notice. Many MPs also fled to an unnamed nearby hotel.

Opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * ''The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...

MP Ablasse Ouedraogo said: "I was inside when the demonstrators stormed in. I was put in secure place by security people of the parliament. Now it is difficult to say what happens next but things are out of control because the demonstrators do not listen to anyone." General Honoré Nabéré Traoré imposed a night curfew.

31 October

Following Diabré's call, the next day, protesters then gathered at Ouagadougou's central

Place de la Nation The Place de la Nation (formerly Place du Trône, subsequently Place du Trône-Renversé during the Revolution) is a circle on the eastern side of Paris, between Place de la Bastille and the Bois de Vincennes, on the border of the 11th and 12t ...

and outside the army headquarters amidst reports of a tense standoff at the latter with chants of "fulfill your responsibilities or we will do so ourselves." By the end of the day Compaoré had resigned and, though there was an initial dispute in the presidency, by 1 November, Zida was declared interim president.

Post-resignation

On 1 November, Ouagadougou Mayor

Simon Compaoré Simon Compaoré (born 19 September, 1952Page at petiteacademie. ...

led volunteers on "Operation Mana Mana" (Operation Clean-Clean in Dyula) to clear the streets, which earned him praise on social media. A coalition of unnamed opposition parties also issued a statement that read:

The victory of the popular uprising - and consequently the management of the transition - belongs to the people and should not in any way be confiscated by the army. Our consultation reaffirmed that this transition should be democratic and civilian in character.

Their joint statement also called for a "democratic and civilian transition. The victory born from this popular uprising belongs to the people, and the task of managing the transition falls by right to the people. In no case can it be confiscated by the army." A demonstration was called at the Place de la Nation for the morning of 2 November. On 1 November, soldiers loyal to Zida patrolled the streets of Ouagadougou after his early morning radio announcement of assuming the role of interim head of state in order to avoid pandemonium during the democratic transition. Protests continued at the Place de la Nation demanding civilian control of a new government instead of a military subversion of what was seen as a grassroots uprising. At the television studio of ''RTB'' he said: "This is not a coup d'état but a popular uprising. I salute the memory of the martyrs of this uprising and bow to the sacrifices made by our people." He also called for the African Union and ECOWAS' support for the transition. In the end, ''

France 24 France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market. Based in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-M ...

'' reported that thousands gathered for the protest, down from the up to a million demonstrators previously, at what has now been nicknamed "Revolution Square." Protesters at ''RTB'''s television building were dispersed by soldiers, who sealed off the building, as well as the Place de la Nation. Zida vowed that "any act likely to undermine the transition process will be suppressed with vigor." The army's attempt to clear the protesters resulted in them opening fire at those gathered at the ''RTB'' causing one death by a stray bullet, according to the army. The army had also seized control of the building and cleared out all staff; at Place de la Nation barricades were erected as demonstrators against the "power grab" by the military were dispersed. One such placard at the protests equated Zida with

Judas Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...

. Reports indicated opposition PDC leader

Saran Sereme Saran may refer to: Places * Saran, Loiret, a commune of the Loiret Department, France * Saran, Kazakhstan, a city in Kazakhstan * Saran district, Bihar, India * Saran division, Bihar, India * Saran (Lok Sabha constituency), Bihar, India * Sar ...

, along with an unnamed army general and a crowd of their supporters, went to the ''RTB'' site to declare themselves in charge of the transition. As gunshots were heard, ''RTB'' was taken off the air for hours with an unnamed army spokesman saying: "The army does not want power. But the anarchy needs to stop. Any violation will be punished with the utmost energy." The Regiment of Presidential Security then sought to block access to the Place de la Nation. On 4 November, the streets were reportedly calm.

Response

Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport international Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, ) is an international freight and former passenger airport serving Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The airport is situated near the t ...

authorities in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

were quoted by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' as having confirmed Compaoré was in Senegal, but there was later dispute as to his location, although his presence outside the country was affirmed. A communique read on ''

Radio Omega Radio is the technology of signaling and telecommunication, communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device ...

'' at 17:00 reported that Compaoré had "dissolved government," declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

and made an appeal to "stay calm." He later said he was prepared to leave office at the end of the transition. Compaoré then said that he would retain his position for a year under a transitional government and then hand over power. He also added he was lifting the "state of siege" he had previously declared. Communications Director Ibrahim Sakande announced the state of emergency with the "chief of the armed forces is in charge of implementing this decision." The reason given by Compaoré was to "create conditions for change," the statement continued. "I'm calling on the leaders of the political opposition to put an end to the protests. I'm pledging from today to open talks with all the actors to end the crisis."

Union for Rebirth/Sankarist Movement The Union for Rebirth / Sankarist Party (french: Union pour la Renaissance / Parti Sankariste, UNIR / PS) is a political party in Burkina Faso. History The party was founded on November 1, 2000. Its president is Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara. ...

President Benewende Sankara, who called for the march, said: "The president must deal with the consequences."

Union for Progress and Reform The Union for Progress and Reform (, UPC) is a political party in Burkina Faso. The party describes itself as non-ideological. History The UPC was established by Zéphirin Diabré in 2010 after he left the ruling Congress for Democracy and Prog ...

President

Zéphirin Diabré Zéphirin Diabré (born 26 August 1959) is a Burkinabé politician. He served in the Government of Burkina Faso as Minister of Finance from 1994 to 1996. Biography Diabré is an economist by training and holds a doctorate in management scienc ...

called on the military to side with "the people" and called for Compaoré's resignation. Opposition activist Emile Pargui said: "October 30 is Burkina Faso's black spring, like the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in T ...

." Reports in the French media also indicated Compaoré's brother, Francis, was arrested as he tried to flee the country, while Lougué's statements suggested the army may step in to remove Compaoré from power. Opposition figure Simon Compaoré (not related) said: "It is absolutely necessary for Blaise Compaoré to leave power and for a transitional government to take over. Talks are taking place with General Lougue ... but there is no agreement yet." The military command announced it would issue a statement later in the day; other unnamed opposition leaders announced having held talks with Lougué on forming a transitional government. Following Compaoré's pledge to "open talks with all the actors to end the crisis," Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Honoré Nabéré Traoré then made an announcement that a transitional government would run the country until an election within 12 months. He also announced a curfew to be in place from 19:00 to 6:00. The national borders have also been closed. The transitional government would occur after all-party consultations. '' Radio Omega FM Ouaga'' said that "revolution 2.0" (in reference to the popular movement led by

Thomas Sankara Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara (; 21 December 1949 – 15 October 1987) was a Burkinabé military officer, Marxist–Leninist revolutionary, and Pan-Africanist, who served as President of Burkina Faso from his coup in 1983 to his deposition and ...

in 1983, whose eventual overthrow and assassination was blamed on Compaoré) has been called a victory by the opposition. After the violence peaked on 30 October, the bill was withdrawn from parliament, according to rushed statement by Communications Minister Alain Edouard Traore. Compaoré then also called for "calm and serenity" on ''Twitter''.

Resignation

Within 24 hours of the 30 October events, Compaoré maintained he was still president and would lead a transitional government. While unnamed international diplomats backed his move, Diabré then called for the demonstrators to occupy public spaces amidst renewed calls for the former's resignation. "The opposition has said and will say again that the precondition for any discussion relating to a political transition is the departure, pure and simple and without condition, of Blaise Compaoré." Rapper

Smockey Serge Bambara (also known by his stage name Smockey, born 24 October 1971) is a hip hop artist, actor and political activist from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Born in what was then the Republic of Upper Volta, the son of a Bissa fa ...

of Le Balai Citoyen told a local radio station that the people were "determined once and for all" to remove Compaoré. His colleague Sams’K Le Jah later said about Compaoré's resignation that the army had adhered to the will of the people. However he also warned against possible abuses by calling on people to "remain vigilant and on high alert, to not let anyone steal the victory of the sovereign people." The group's spokesman Guy Hervé Kam also joined the protests. General Honore Traore (Burkina Faso)

Later in the day, Compaoré announced he had left the presidency and that there was a "power vacuum;" he also called for a "free and transparent" election within 90 days. His resignation was done on the basis of Article 43 of the

constitution of Burkina Faso The Constitution of Burkina Faso was approved by referendum on 2 June 1991, formally adopted 11 June 1991 and last amended in January 2002. The last amendment abolished the upper chamber of the parliament, the Chamber of Representatives. In 2 ...

which states that in case of a vacancy within the presidency, a new election should be held within at least 60–90 days after the official vacancy declaration, a move that some politicians such as Diabré deem difficult to carry out. Protesters then gathered at army headquarters that day then cheered when the announcement was made. Traoré then took over the reins as head of state in an interim capacity. Though demonstrators danced and cheered in Ouagadougou at the announcement of Compaoré's statement being broadcast, the mood cooled on news of Traoré taking interim office. Arsene Evariste Kabore, the former editor-in-chief of state television, suggested people were not happy at the decision as he was Compaoré's aide de camp. Chants were heard calling for Traoré to quit. Some protesters even called for election of Lougué, who was fired by Compaoré in 2003.

People's Movement for Progress The People's Movement for Progress (french: Mouvement du Peuple pour le Progrès, MPP) is a political party in Burkina Faso that was founded on 25 January 2014 by former Congress for Democracy and Progress member Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. Kabo ...

member, Monou Tapsoaba, said that instead of Traoré "we need someone credibly. Traoré is Blaise Campaoré's henchman." Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Issaac Zida appeared to challenge Traoré's usurpation of power while aligning himself with the protesters. He announced his own emergency measures and deployed troops on the streets. The next day, a statement was issued by unnamed top military leaders that read: "Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Issac Zida has been elected unanimously to lead the transition period opened after the departure of President Blaise Compaore." The statement was also signed by Traoré. Zida then said: "The aspirations for democratic change y the Burkinabè youthwill be neither betrayed, nor disappointed." By 1 November, Compaoré had fled to

Yamoussoukro Yamoussoukro (; , locally ) is the ''de jure'' capital of Ivory Coast and an autonomous district. As of the 2014 census, Yamoussoukro is the fifth most populous city in Ivory Coast with a population of 212,670. Located north-west of Abidjan, th ...

, Ivory Coast. Though he was en route from the

Kosyam Palace The Kosyam Palace is the official residence of the president of Burkina Faso. It is located in Ouaga 2000, an upper-middle-class neighborhood in southeastern Ouagadougou Ouagadougou ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso and t ...

, the presidential palace, to Pô on the national highway, they diverted before arriving in Nobéré, 45 kilometres from Pô. While being in constant contact with Ivorian President

Alassane Ouattara Alassane Dramane Ouattara (; ; born 1 January 1942) is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) since 2010. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)government of Ivory Coast The Politics of Ivory Coast takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Ivory Coast is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exerci ...

issued a statement saying that Compaoré was in the country with his family and entourage but did not specify his location. ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

'' quoted military sources as saying he was staying at a presidential retreat in

Assinie Assinie-Mafia is a coastal resort town in south-eastern Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture of Adiaké Department in Sud-Comoé Region, Comoé District. Geography Assinie-Mafia is located 80 kilometres east of Abidjan along the coast of th ...

. Unnamed diplomats were also quoted as saying he was alarmed at the possibility of prosecution on human rights charges upon leaving office. Zida also said on television that Compaoré was "in a safe place" and that his "safety and wellbeing are assured." Ouattara said: "As a mediator, he helped his Ivorian brothers resume dialogue… That is why, naturally, we welcome him here, following the painful events that shook our neighbor. We want the transition to take place in a peaceful and constitutional process. President Compaore will stay in Ivory Coast as long as he wishes." France President Francois Hollande acknowledged assisting Compaoré's departure saying it was done in order to prevent a "bloodbath."

National unity government

On 3 November, Zida said a

national unity government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other nati ...

would soon rule the country within the framework of the constitution. ''France 24'' suggested Zida was willing to give up power to an MP or a representative of

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. King

Mogho Naba The ''mogho naba'' of Wogodogo is the ruler ("king of the world") of Wogodogo, one of the Mossi Kingdoms located in present-day Burkina Faso. The kingdom takes its name from its historic capital, now the Burkinabe national capital of Ouagadougou. ...

of the

Mossi people Mossi may refer to: *Mossi people *Mossi language *Mossi Kingdoms * the Mossi, a Burkinabe variant of the Dongola horse *Mossi (given name) *Mossi (surname) See also *Mossie (disambiguation) *Mossy (disambiguation) Mossy may refer to: Places *Mos ...

said on 4 November that he had met Zida and "they came to tell us that they would hand back power to civilians. The country should regain peace and quiet." In accordance with the now-suspended constitution, opposition leader

Roch Marc Christian Kaboré Roch Marc Christian Kaboré (; born 25 April 1957) is a Burkinabé banker and politician who served as the President of Burkina Faso from 2015 until he was deposed in 2022. He was the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso between 1994 and 1996 and Pre ...

asserted that the parliament speaker was supposed to be a transitional leader, however Soungalo Ouattara's whereabouts were unknown. Talks to choose the head of a transitional government, involving political parties and representatives of civil society, mediated by ECOWAS/AU regional leaders, followed. Although the parties involved agreed that the transitional leader should be a civilian and that the original timetable for holding an election in November 2015 should be maintained, there was difficulty in agreeing on a transitional leader and tension between the formerly ruling CDP and those who had opposed Compaoré. After initial reluctance, the army, represented by Colonel August Denise Barry, participated briefly in continuing talks held on 8 November. It was also reported that, despite objections from the opposition, Zida said in an interview that the CDP must be included in the talks. ''

Jeune Afrique ''Jeune Afrique'' (English: ''Young Africa'') is a French-language pan-African weekly news magazine, founded in 1960 in Tunis and subsequently published in Paris. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It is also a book publisher, unde ...

'' also published an interview with Compaoré in which he alleged that "part of the opposition was working with the army" to plot his overthrow and that "history will tell us if they were right." He added that he would "not wish for his worst enemy" to be in Zida's place. Zida also dismissed threats from the AU over the two-week deadline to hand power to civilians, as well as the threat of sanctions if it is ignored. Instead Zida said "we are not afraid of sanctions." The military also agreed to hold an election the following year but not on the choice of an interim leader. Zida added that the military "care much more about stability" than threats. He said of the group that "we have waited on the African Union in moments when it should have shown its fraternity and its friendship but instead was not there. It's unfortunate but it's not too late." AU's deputy chairperson, Erastus Mwencha, accused the military of taking advantage of the indecision amongst political parties over the selection of an interim leader. He added that the various parties should "try to reach consensus for the sake of the country" and that the first step towards sanctions would entail Burkina Faso's suspension from the body. Conversely, ECOWAS warned against unilateral sanctions; it also appointed Senegalese President Macky Sall to lead mediation efforts. Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama also warned against the threat of sanctions: "I am certain that we will not reach the stage where the international community will have to impose sanctions." AU chairman and Mauritanian President

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ( ar, محمد ولد عبد العزيز ''Muḥammad Wald 'Abd al-'Azīz''; born 20 December 1956) is a former Mauritanian politician who was the 8th List of heads of state of Mauritania, President of Mauritania, in of ...

held talks with Zida on 10 November and said that "the African Union has not come to sanction Burkina Faso." He also met unnamed opposition parties and called for a Burkinabe-led solution where all parties should work together "in tranquility, security and social peace." The previous day, the unnamed opposition coalition and civil society organisations agreed on a preliminary blueprint for a transition that included an election in November 2015 with an interim civilian president, a 25-member government and a transitional parliament with 90 seats. By mid-November, a framework was agreed upon unanimously by political, military and civil leaders, even though a leader was not named. The intention was to return to civilian rule and prepare for the election in 2015. The agreement also entails an interim president chosen by a special college composed of religious, military, political, civil and traditional leaders; the president would then name a prime minister to appoint a 25-minister government and a 90-member national transitional council as a legislative body, while the acting president would be disallowed from contesting the election. Balai Citoyen's Herve Kam said: "Today was the day of compromise. Both soldiers and civilians agree on a civilian transition. The institutions of the transition will be led by civilians." United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed and congratulated the adoption of the Charter of the Transition.

Reactions

;Supranational *

— A statement was issued expressing "profound concern" over the events and called on all parties to remain calm. Another statement was later issued asserting: "The Chairperson of the Commission...stresses the duty and obligation of the defense and security forces to place themselves at the disposal of the civilian authorities who should lead the transition." The

Peace and Security Council The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the organ of the African Union in charge of enforcing union decisions. It is patterned somewhat after the United Nations Security Council. The PSC is also the main pillar of the African Peace and Security ...

met over the situation on 3 November. Its leader, Simeon Oyono Esono, said:

We ask the armed forces to transfer power to the civil authorities, and the council has determined a period of two weeks for the transfer. The African Union is convinced that the change has been against democracy. However, we know that popular pressure led to the resignation of the president. Having taken note of the origin of the popular revolt which led the military to assume power, we determined a period of two weeks, and after that period we are going to apply sanctions.

ECOWAS The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of , and in ...

— A statement was issued that expressed concern of a possible

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

and that it "would not recognise unconstitutional accessions to power." It further called for "the necessity to respect the principles of democratic and constitutional government." :At the behest of the AU, and under the auspices of ECOWAS, African leaders arrived in the country after 3 November and met opposition politicians, Compaore's supporters, religious leaders and civil society groups. The group included Nigerian President

Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...

, Senegal's

Macky Sall Macky Sall (, wo, Maki Sàll, fuc, 𞤃𞤢𞤳𞤭 𞤅𞤢𞤤‎, italic=no, Maki Sal; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. He was re-elected President in the first round voti ...

and Ghana's

John Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who served as President of Ghana from 24 July 2012 to 7 January 2017. He previously served as Vice President of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012, and took office as presi ...

, who led the delegation, arrived in the country to mediate the crisis and seek an interim leader. Unnamed opposition leaders stormed out of a meeting on 5 November with Mathias Tankoano, a member of an unnamed civil society delegation saying: "We can't sit in the same room as those who are to blame for the deaths of the victims whose bodies we have not yet even buried. They should be prosecuted for the deaths and for acts against the constitution that have resulted in violence in our country." Yet the three presidents were scheduled to continue to find a resolution. Union leader Joseph Tiendrebeogo said: "If everyone agrees, there is no reason that the transition shouldn't be done within two weeks." Mahama said that with the election due next year an interim administration could lead the country into the scheduled date with the interim administration ineligible to stand; he was supported by Sall and Jonathan. * — called for scrapping the proposed constitutional amendment. It added that the measure could jeopardise Burkina Faso's stability. * — The head of the

United Nations Office for West Africa The United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (abbreviated as UNOWAS) is a United Nations political mission in Dakar, Senegal established in 2002 for preventive diplomacy, political mediation, and facilitation in West Africa and the Sahel ...

Mohamed Ibn Chambas Mohamed Ibn Chambas (born 7 December 1950 in Bimbilla, Ghana) is a Ghanaian lawyer, diplomat, politician and academic Ghana who has served as an international civil servant since 2006. He last served as the United Nations Special Representative ...

, was scheduled to fly to Burkina Faso the next day to try and mediate the crisis. He later said: "We are hoping for a transition led by civilians in line with the constitution. He

ida Ida or IDA may refer to: Astronomy * Ida Facula, a mountain on Amalthea, a moon of Jupiter *243 Ida, an asteroid *International Docking Adapter, a docking adapter for the International Space Station Computing *Intel Dynamic Acceleration, a techn ...

said he will reflect and try to work with the UN, African Union and the

Economic Community of West African States The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political union, political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an ...

, and to find an acceptable agreement which conforms to the constitution." While U.N. Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...

backed mediation effort by AU and ECOWAS, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said consultations with all parties seek "to ensure a democratic civilian-led transition in Burkina Faso. he missionwill continue its efforts to help resolve the crisis in line with the national constitution." ;States * — The Foreign Ministry issued a statement reading: "Currently, all travel to Burkina Faso is not advised. Belgians in the country should also avoid demonstrations and rallies, monitor media coverage and learn about current developments." * — The European Union statement was echoed, with an appeal for restraint from all sides. Local media reported that the French ambassador had met unnamed opposition leaders. It also "deplored" the violence. France is the former colonial power, which still hosts special forces troops in the country. President

François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from ...

later said France would "contribute to calming" the situation * — The

Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

issued a statement saying that it was "closely monitoring" the situation. "We believe that the solution to domestic issues must be within the legal field. We hope that all the political forces of Burkina Faso to show restraint and political responsibility." * - The

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

stated that relations with Burkina Faso would remain unchanged after Compaoré's resignation. Burkina Faso is one of only 22 states with full diplomatic relations with Taiwan. * — Concern was raised over the proposed constitutional amendment.

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

spokeswoman

Bernadette Meehan Bernadette M. Meehan (born 1975) is an American diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Chile. She previously worked as chief international officer for the Obama Foundation. She also served as a spokesperson for the United States ...

issued a statement which said the United States was deeply concerned by the 30 October situation and called on all sides to cease the violence. The embassy in Ouagadougou issued a statement that asserted the United States was "deeply concerned" by the violence and that it had urged "all parties including the security forces" to seek peace. An unnamed U.S. official also said the country urged "a transfer of power in accordance with the constitution." ;Pan-African citizenry Citizens of other African countries, seeing the scenes broadcast across the country, asked if the Burkinabé events were successful whether they could be replicated elsewhere. Social media sites were abuzz with Africans pointing at the respective governments who sought to hold on to power. The ''Twitter'' hashtag "#lwili" was used for the Burkinabé events in reference to the traditional Burkinabe cloth Lwili Peendé. ;Media ''The Guardian'' said the events could be "a promising break with the trend set by various African rulers finding elasticity in constitutional limits, including Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Namibia, Togo and Uganda." ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'' cited unnamed people terming this an African Spring and that it could serve as a warning to leaders like Rwanda's

Paul Kagame Paul Kagame (; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who is the 4th and current president of Rwanda since 2000. He previously served as a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Uganda-based rebel ...

who are trying to abolish term limits. Parallels were also drawn with the Arab Spring. ''

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

'' asked if there would be repercussions across West Africa and whether this was an uprising or a coup, though there were no Burkinabé on their panel. Risk management firm Red24's Ryan Cummings said that "we saw this was a regime that was crumbling" citing Compaoré's loss of support within the military and his own party. He added that "Compaoré as much as he was vilified by the local population he was a key ally of the west… without him there’s no guarantee the status quo will persist. The country itself is quite key for regional stability…There’s going to be a void and that could catalyze a lot of extremist groups and this could see other countries being destabilised." U.K.-based risk consultancy group, Maplecroft's, Maja Bovcon said:

The military in Burkina Faso is very powerful. You should also take into account that Blaise Compaore himself came to power in a military coup n 1987 He’s a former officer and he’s also very closely connected to the military. We could describe the regime in Burkina Faso as a kind of mixture of political and military culture. However there are huge divisions – especially between the normal army and the special elite forces. After the 2011 protests, Blaise Compaore became afraid of his own army. Soldiers based in Ouagadougou were not properly equipped, but the presidential guards remained well-armed. It’s curious that Isaac Zida, a member of the presidential guards, has become head of this transitional administration. It will be really interesting to see how Isaac Zida will behave in the future and what is his relationship with the opposition.

References

External links

12 pictures from 28-31 October of events in Ouagadougou
- ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Burkinabé uprising, 2014 2010s coups d'état and coup attempts 2014 in Burkina Faso 2014 protests 2014 riots 21st-century revolutions Conflicts in 2014 Military coups in Burkina Faso 21st century in Ouagadougou Politics of Burkina Faso Protests in Burkina Faso October 2014 events in Africa November 2014 events in Africa