The coup was condemned by the UN, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States.
The president of Burkina Faso, Roch Kaboré, resigned from his post on Monday, after the military seized power with the coup last Sunday.
Local media released the letter around midnight in which Kaboré announced his resignation in a document addressed to the nation’s new de facto ruler, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba.
“Next, and in the interest of the nation, after the events that have occurred since yesterday (Sunday), I have decided to resign from my functions as President of (Burkina) Faso, Head of Government and Supreme Head of the National Armed Forces. God bless Burkina Faso,” said the 64-year-old deposed president.
Prior to Kaboré’s letter, the military issued two statements on local television stations, announcing the seizure of power and the dissolution of the Government and Parliament as well as the suspension of the Constitution.
The spokesman for the Patriotic Movement for the Safeguarding and Restoration (MPSR), organizers of the coup, stressed that the decision to remove Kaboré from power was made “with the sole objective of allowing our country to return to the right path and gather all its forces to fight for its territorial integrity (…) and its sovereignty”.
“In the face of the continuous degradation of the security situation that threatens the foundations of our nation, the manifest inability of the power of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré to unite the Burkinabe to face the situation effectively, and following the aspirations of the different social strata! of the nation, the MPSR has decided to assume its responsibilities before history!” he said.
Military forces also announced the closure of air and land borders and the imposition of a curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time (UTC) throughout the country until further notice.
The United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the coup and the military undertook to restore constitutional order to the country, within a reasonable period and only after consultation with the Burkina Faso forces.
According to the United Nations Organization, the violence unleashed by armed entities in Burkina Faso caused the displacement of more than 1.2 million civilians until November 2021. Likewise, assaults on military and police posts are constant.
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