Angry protesters Saturday attacked the French embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital and set it on fire after supporters of the west African nation’s new coup leader accused France of harbouring the ousted interim president.
Lt Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was overthrown late on Friday less than nine months after he mounted a coup in Burkina Faso.
Comments by a junta spokesperson on Saturday set into motion an outburst of anger in Ouagadougou, the capital.
Reading a statement on behalf of the new junta leadership, Lt Jean Baptiste Kabre, said:
Damiba has tried to retreat to the Kamboinsin French military base to prepare a counter-offensive in order to sow division amongst our defense and security forces.
Videos on social media showed residents with lit torches outside the perimeter of the French embassy, and other images showed part of the compound ablaze.
In Burkina Faso’s second-largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso, angry crowds also vandalised the French Institute.
Damiba’s whereabouts remained unknown but France’s foreign ministry issued a statement vehemently denying claims that they were harbouring him. Reads the statement in part:
We formally deny involvement in the events unfolding in Burkina Faso. The camp where the French forces are based has never hosted Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, nor has our embassy.
French foreign ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre later told France-24 on Saturday night that it was a “confusing situation” in Ouagadougou and she urged French citizens to stay at home.
Ibrahim Traore, the 34-year-old army captain who was named in charge after the Friday evening coup was announced on state television, said in interviews that he and his men did not seek to harm Damiba, who unlike other deposed leaders in the region has yet to offer his resignation.
Traore told the Voice of America, “We don’t want to harm him, because we don’t have any personal problem with him. We’re fighting for Burkina Faso.”
He later told Radio Omega that they didn’t have intentions to bring Damiba to justice.
Roads remained blocked off in Ouagadougou and a helicopter could be heard flying overhead. An internal security analysis for the EU seen by the Associated Press said there was “abnormal military movement” in the city.