Burkina Faso's ex-president moved to arrest at personal home
Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta says former president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who has been under strict house arrest since being ousted in a coup in January, has been allowed to return to his personal home
Burkina Faso's ex-president moved to arrest at personal home
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Burkina Faso’s former president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who has been under strict house arrest since being ousted in a coup in January, has been allowed to return to his personal home, according to the ruling military junta.
Following three weeks of consultations across the country, it was decided that Kabore could go back to his residence in the capital, Ouagadougou, which will be guarded by government security, junta spokesman Wendkouni Joel Lionel Bilgo said in a statement.
It’s unclear which of his several houses Kabore is in and it appears he remains under arrest. Kabore is allowed to see family and close friends and to use his phone but he isn’t permitted to freely move outside his home, two members of the ruling junta told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Last month the military junta announced that it intends to stay in power for three years before holding elections and returning Burkina Faso to civilian, democratic rule. The junta said it is necessary for the military to hold power for that period in order to secure the country from jihadi violence in which thousands have been killed and nearly 2 million people displaced.
The 15-nation West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS has expressed its concern over the junta's three-year transition period and demanded that by April 25 the military rulers propose a shorter time to elections or the regional group will impose economic and financial sanctions, according to a statement by ECOWAS in March.
Conflict analysts say the decision to move Kabore and give him a bit more freedom might signify that the junta is trying to reduce worries about its control of the country. “It might be showcasing a more lenient approach to stem the potential for a civilian outcry over it seizing power,” said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, which provides intelligence analysis. “It might also signify that back door negotiations are taking place to contain the Kabore support base and bring it to its side,” he said.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.