On
Burkina
Faso, UNSC
Demands
Kafando's
Release, Ban
Was Silent,
Speaks
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 16
-- As
political
leaders in
Burkina Faso
were put under
military
detention on
September 16,
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon held a
carefully
controlled
press
conference,
his first one
at the UN in
2015, and did not take
a single
question about
Africa,
much less
Burkina Faso.
While in the
past Ban has
churned out
statements of
concern, at
the September
16 press
conference
there was
nothing. Ban's
Office of the
Spokesperson,
when Inner
City Press asked
in May about
restrictions
on the media
in Burkina
Faso, had no
direct comment.
It's not
"Rights Up
Front" - it's
ignore then
pretend, as on
Burundi before
it, and Sri Lanka
before that.
The UN
Security Council,
after
consulting,
issued a
unanimous 15-member
Press
Statement, not
yet on its website
but here:
"The
members of the
Security
Council
condemned in
the strongest
terms today’s
forceful
detention of
the President
Michel Kafando
and Prime
Minister Isaac
Zida of
Burkina Faso,
as well as a
number of
Ministers, and
demanded that
they be
released
safely and
immediately.
The members of
the Security
Council
stressed that
their
detention by
elements of
the Régiment
de sécurité
présidentielle
is a flagrant
violation of
the
Constitution
and the
Transitional
Charter of
Burkina Faso.
The members of
the Security
Council urged
all actors in
Burkina Faso
to refrain
from any
violence.
"The members
of the
Security
Council
expressed
their strong
support to the
transitional
authorities of
Burkina Faso
and urged all
actors to
comply with
the
transitional
calendar,
notably the
holding of
free, fair and
credible
elections,
scheduled for
11 October
2015. They
urged all
actors to
respect the
legitimate
aspiration of
the people of
Burkina Faso
for a peaceful
transition.
"The members
of the
Security
Council
expressed
their strong
support for
the efforts of
the Special
Representative
of the
Secretary-General
for West
Africa,
Mohamed Ibn
Chambas, as
well those of
the Economic
Community of
West African
States
(ECOWAS), the
African Union
and other
international
partners to
support the
transition in
Burkina Faso."
The US
released this
statement:
"The
United States
is deeply
concerned
about the
unfolding
events in
Burkina
Faso. We
call for the
immediate
release of
President
Kafando, Prime
Minister Zida,
and all other
officials
being held.
"The United
States
strongly
condemns any
attempt to
seize power
through
extra-constitutional
means or
resolve
internal
political
disagreements
using force.
"We call for
an immediate
end to
violence, urge
the military
personnel
involved to
return to
their primary
mission, and
reaffirm our
steadfast
support for
the civilian
transitional
government to
continue its
work of
preparing for
free, fair,
and credible
elections on
October 11."
After 5 pm,
Ban's office
sent this out
- "outraged"
--
"The
Secretary-General
is outraged by
reports of the
detention of
President
Michel Kafando
and Prime
Minister
Yacouba Isaac
Zida of
Burkina Faso,
as well as a
number of
Ministers of
State, by the
Régiment de
Sécurité
Présidentielle
today in
Ouagadougou.
The
Secretary-General
calls for
their
immediate
release. This
incident is a
flagrant
violation of
Burkina Faso's
Constitution
and
Transitional
Charter.
"The United
Nations stands
firmly behind
the
transitional
authorities
and President
Kafando. The
Secretary-General
notes the
strong support
of the people
of Burkina
Faso for a
peaceful
transition and
urges
compliance
with the
transitional
calendar,
including the
upcoming
elections.
"His Special
Representative
for West
Africa,
Mohamed Ibn
Chambas, is
presently in
Ouagadougou
and working
closely with
the Economic
Community of
West African
States
(ECOWAS), the
African Union
and other
international
partners to
support and
safeguard the
transition in
Burkina Faso."
We'll
see.
Back
on July 7 when
the head of
the UN Office
for West
Africa (UNOWA)
Mohammed Ibn
Chambas
briefed the UN
Security
Council on he
noted that in
Burkina Faso
"our concerns
increased
following
[the] recent
incident on 29
June when
elements of
the
Presidential
Security
Regiment (RSP)
reportedly
attempted to
arrest Prime
Minister Zida
upon his
return from a
foreign trip.
Several gun
shots were
heard in the
Regiment's
camp that
evening."
In the past,
Chambas has
come to the
Security
Council
stakeout to
take questions
after briefing
the Council.
Not this time.
When the
President of
the Council
for July
Gerard van
Bohemen of New
Zealand
emerged and
said the
Council urged
Chambas to
continue his
work including
in Burkina
Faso, Inner
City Press
asked what
Chambas' plan
is in light of
the attempt to
arrest the
Prime
Minister.
In response,
van Bohemen
said he
couldn't speak
to Chambas'
plans - fair
enough - and
also said that
on last week's
draft Burundi
press
statement, it
was decided
that the
previous
week's
Presidential
Statement --
before the
June 29
elections --
was strong
enough. Periscope
video here,
at least for
24 hours.
Burundi
is on the
Security
Council's
agenda for
July 9, so
we'll have
more on that.
But perhaps
not on the UN
in Burkina
Faso. Chambas
never returned
to take
questions, of
which there
are many.
On the
Srebrenica
draft
resolution,
twice
postponed on
July 7, van
Bohemen
confirm that
it now set for
10 am on July
8. We'll be
there.
Back
on November
17, 2014, the
Security
Council in a
French-drafted
Press
Statement
"welcomed the
appointment of
Mr. Michel
Kafando as the
civilian
President of
the
Transition."
That's
the same
Michel Kafando
who was the
Blaise
Compare's
Ambassador to
the UN during
the country's
last turn on
the Security
Council. Inner
City Press has
asked Kafando
questions, UN
now-archived
video here.
Some ask, Meet
the new boss,
same as the
old boss?
On
November 13
when the
International
Monetary Fund
held its
biweekly
embargoed
media briefing
on November
13, Inner City
Press asked
about Burkina
Faso: "does
the IMF have
any comment or
response to
the change of
government,
any impacts on
IMF programs
or forecasts
for the
country or its
neighbors?"
IMF deputy
spokesperson
William Murray
replied that
"in terms of
Burkina Faso
there were
some issues
with a mission
recently but
now the
situation is
evolving. As
soon as an
internationally
recognized
transitional
government is
in place, we
look forward
to resuming
discussions
with the
authorities."
Citing
"signals for
donor
engagement,"
Murray said
the IMF
"anticipates
the
transitional
government
is likely to
want to
continue a
program
engagement of
some sort.
Depending on
the
authorities'
wishes and the
commitments
they are
willing to
undertake,
options might
be a one year
program under
the Rapid
Credit
Facility or
continuation
of the current
ECF supported
program."
And there you
have it.
From
the IMF's
subsequently
released
transcript:
IMF's
William
Murray: I have
a question,
again from
Matthew Lee,
on Burkina
Faso. On
Burkina Faso,
does the IMF
have any
comment or
response to
the change of
government and
any impacts on
IMF programs
or forecasts
for the
country or its
neighbors. Let
me -- I'm
going to have
to dive into
my brief here,
Matthew. In
terms of
Burkina Faso,
you know there
are some
issues there
with the
mission
recently, but
now the
situation is
evolving and
we are
following
developments
in Burkina
Faso closely.
As soon as
internationally
recognized
transitional
government is
in place, we
look forward
to resuming
our
discussions
with the
authorities.
Burkina Faso
has a long
track record
of strong
performance
with programs
supported by
the IMF. Since
the current
program
provides a
signal for
broader donor
engagement, we
anticipate
that the
transition
government is
likely to want
to continue a
program
engagement of
some sort.
Depending upon
the
authorities'
wishes, and
the
commitments
that they are
willing to
undertake,
options might
be a one year
program
supported by
the rapid
credit
facility or
possibly
continuation
of the current
ECF supported
program.
Program
implementation
capacity will
also be an
important
consideration.
That's our
latest update
on Burkina.
All
right, I think
we can wrap
this up. Is
there any
other
questions we
can? Okay,
great
At
the UN on
November 4,
with the
military
claiming
control of
Burkina Faso,
after days of
silence from
the UN
Security
Council, the
Security
Council got a
briefing on
the topic from
UN Political
Affairs chief
Jeff Feltman.
Afterward
Inner City
Press asked
Quinlan if
there had been
any discussion
of the spread
of what some
call the
African
Spring, noting
for example
that a statute
of Joseph
Kabila was
toppled in
Beni in
Eastern Congo,
even as Kabila
asks UN
Peacekeeping
for military
support.
Quinlan
said there has
been some
discussion of
the regional
aspect, but
not in detail.
Inner City
Press asked if
France had
acknowledged
in the
Council's
consultations
having helped
Burkina Faso's
27 year ruler
-- who came to
power on the
back, so to
speak, of
Thomas Sankara
-- escape the
country.
Quinlan
said he hadn't
heard of the
allegation
that France
help Compaore
get away.
Well, here it
is: president
Francois
Hollande told
reporters in
Quebec City
that "we did
it... to avoid
drama and
other
convulsions."
The UN never
criticized Blaise
Compaore's
27 year rule
or his bid to
extend it; in
the DR Congo,
UN
Peacekeeping
unself-consciously
offers
military
support to
Joseph
Kabila.
But how will
the UN
Security
Council react,
if at all, to
military rule
in Burkina
Faso?
* * *
For days the
UN's Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon had
been vaguely
calling for
calm. On
October 31 at
noon Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
Inner
City Press:
the UN seems
to in peace
processes work
pretty closely
with Burkina
Faso. So
I wonder when,
if you can
maybe say,
when the
President
began to talk
about changing
term limits
and going
beyond his
current 27
years of rule,
did anyone in
the UN system
say, maybe
it's a bad
idea, maybe
it's time…
maybe your
Government is
too strong,
maybe it's
time for
somebody
else? Or
was it hands
off?
What was the
view of that?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think it's…
first of all,
I doubt that
there were any
consultations
by the
President and
the UN on what
his decisions
were, what the
parliament's
decision was
going to be,
you know, so I
think we're
trying to
imagine
conversations
that were not
had.
Inner
City Press:
What I'm
saying is, the
UN has
actively asked
the Burkina
authorities to
play a role in
a variety of
regional
conflicts; it
seems like
there are kind
of
discussions,
and also by
making that
request,
they're saying
that this
27-year person
is a…
Spokesman:
I think, you
know, Burkina
Faso has a
role to play
in the
regional… in
keeping
regional
peace. I
think every
country in any
region has
that role to
play.
Inner
City
Press:
What's Mr.
Chambas doing
there?
Spokesman:
He was sent by
the
Secretary-General.
He'll be
meeting with
key
stakeholders.
He arrived
this
morning.
Obviously, the
situation is
changing at a
very rapid
clip, and he
will be
talking with
key
stakeholders.
Ah, the UN.
Why
did the US -
and the UN
Secretariat --
support his 27
year rule,
while
criticizing
others?
Twenty
seven years
ago, Thomas
Sankara was
overthrown and
killed in a
coup led by
Blaise
Compaore.
It was
under Sankara
that the
country's name
change from
"Upper Volta"
to Burkina
Faso, land of
the upright.
History
records two
meetings of
Sankara and
France's
Francois
Mitterand. At
the Vittel
conference,
Mitterand
stared
stony-faced
ahead as
Sankara spoke
of seeking
foreign
relations with
countries
beyond France.
And
later, after
South African
apartheid
leader Pieter
Botha had
visited
France,
Sankara
criticized
Mitterand to
his face in
Ouagadougou,
after
Mitterand
drove through
the streets
waving at the
crowd. Soon
the Compaore
coup would
kill Sankara,
and France and
Boigny would
congratulate
Compaore. The
rest is
history.
What
would Thomas
Sankara say?
On this day,
and going
forward, we
must ask.
Watch this
site.
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