The junta suspended the constitution immediately on taking power on January 24, but later reversed this in the face of pressure from neighbours in West Africa demanding a return to civilian rule.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The military authorities have promised to re-establish “constitutional order” within a “reasonable time” but the issue of a date for elections remains unsettled.<\/p>\n

On February 5, the junta announced that a 15-member commission would be tasked with “drawing up a draft charter and agenda, together with a proposal for the duration of the transition period.”<\/p>\n

Burkina was suspended on February 3 from the West African bloc ECOWAS, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States.<\/p>\n

But ECOWAS envoys came back with positive news from talks with the junta.<\/p>\n

The bloc decided against punishing Burkina with further sanctions — unlike coup-hit Guinea and Mali, which have been hit with border closures, an embargo on trade and\u00a0financial transactions and sanctions against individuals for perceived foot-dragging over holding elections.<\/p>\n

Instead, ECOWAS called for “the speedy creation of a reasonable timetable” for the return to civilian rule.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

– Jihadist fighter –<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

“At these difficult moments, our country has not been abandoned by its partners,” Damiba said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

“Burkina Faso reiterates its readiness to work in full sovereignty with all partners in mutual respect.”<\/p>\n

On January 31, Burkina was also suspended by the African Union “until the effective restoration of constitutional order.”<\/p>\n

The UN Security Council on February 9 expressed “serious concern” over the country’s “unconstitutional change of government,” but chose not to describe it as a military coup or even condemn it outright.<\/p>\n

Damiba has had first-hand experience of the jihadist insurgency.<\/p>\n

Before seizing power, he was commander of the 3rd Military Region, which covers eastern Burkina Faso — one of the worst-hit areas.<\/p>\n

A military source, speaking after the coup, described Damiba as “a tough commander who has been on the front line with his men”.<\/p>\n

Before the coup, Damiba criticised prevailing strategies to fight the jihadists, publishing a book last June called “West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Answers?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Burkina Faso strongman Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was inaugurated as president on Wednesday, just over three weeks after he led a coup to topple elected head of state Roch Marc Christian Kabore.   In a televised ceremony, Damiba swore an oath before the country’s top constitutional body to “preserve, respect, uphold and defend the Constitution”, the nation’s laws and a “fundamental act” of key decisions approved by the junta. Damiba was dressed in camouflage uniform and a red beret, and wore a sash in the colours of Burkina’s national flag. The press, but no foreign representatives, attended the ceremony in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567,562],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-news","category-yeswecantv-news"],"yoast_head":"\n