Youth lead push for civil government in Burkina Faso

By Fusion Staff  |  November 5, 2014 | 4:06pm
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Burkina Faso’s dictator is gone, but protesters are still filling the streets of this West African nation.

Young people are at the forefront of the push for change.

“It’s our struggle. It’s the youth’s struggle,” says Adama Guebré, president of the “Ça Suffit” (That’s Enough!) movement.

Former President Blaise Campaore, whose administration survived several other protests and uprisings during his 27-year rule, stepped down and fled the country last Friday. The army quickly stepped into the power vacuum and suspended the nation’s constitution and legislative body.

Critics have called the army’s power play a coup d’etat. Protesters are calling on the army to hand over government to civilian rule. The African Union, an organization of 54 African states, has set a two-week deadline for the military to cede power or face sanctions.

The United States, France and the UN have also expressed concern about the situation.

Burkina Faso Army Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida was appointed as the interim head of state. He has publicly stated the army is not interested in ruling the country, and has pledged to hand over power once a transitional government is established.

Not everyone is convinced by his assurances.

“Every part of our society has been boiling,” claims Benewende Sankara, president of the UNIR-PS opposition party.

-Text by Rafael Fernandez De Castro

Video provided by sahelien.com

Ingrid Rojas is a Colombian multimedia producer based in Miami. She spends her days either shooting, producing or editing all kinds of video content.

 
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