Burkina Faso military junta’s coup leader denounces an attempted coup d’état

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Archive – Monument to the National Heroes in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso – LOU JONES / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO

The leader of Burkina Faso’s military junta, Ibrahim Traoré, who led an uprising on September 30 against the then leader, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, denounced Thursday that an attempted coup d’état took place in the country over the weekend.

During a meeting with civil society organizations and religious leaders in Ouagadougou, the capital, Traoré affirmed that he knows those responsible for the «maneuver», although he has kept silent, alleging that he wants to favor dialogue, according to Radio Omega.

Traoré alluded that the alleged perpetrators intend to «undermine the morale and the efforts» of the military junta, while denouncing that there is «money involved». He also asked the participants in the forum to be «alert» and «prepared».

Burkina Faso’s coup leader received on Saturday a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by the organization’s mediator for the African country and former president of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, to discuss the transition process in the country.

Burkina Faso, which has been under the rule of a military coup junta since September 30, has generally experienced a significant increase in insecurity since 2015, with attacks by both Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, leading to a wave of internally displaced persons and refugees to other countries in the region.