Burkina coup leader to be sworn in as transition president Friday

Burkina Faso’s new strongman will be sworn in as transition president on Friday (Oct 21).

The constitutional council announced the resignation of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba on Wednesday (October 19).

Captain Traoré has been the junta’s leader since September 30, when he deposed Damiba.

According to the transition charter adopted by the national forum on October 14, the 34-year-old will become Burkina Faso’s new leader.

• French Institute damaged during anti-coup protests in Burkina Faso.
• Burkina Faso’s coup leader takes office.

Traoré was unanimously elected “president of the transition, head of state, and supreme chief of the national armed forces” by the 300-person transition team.

The charter stipulates that “the term of the president of the transition will end” once the leader elected after the 2024 presidential race will be sworn in. Adding that “the president of the transition is not eligible for the upcoming elections”.

Burkina has been grappling with a deadly jihadist insurgency.