Guinea and Burkina Faso juntas risk more sanctions over transition delays

C O N A K R / OUAGADOUGOU - Guinea’s ruling junta yesterday signalled it might break a deadline to set out its plans to return to civilian rule, opening up the prospect of more sanctions from West Africa’s political and economic bloc.

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There was no immediate announcement from the military rulers of Burkina Faso who were facing the same deadline to present “acceptable” plans to hand back power to civilians after their January coup.

West Africa has been rocked by two coups in Mali, one in Guinea and one in Burkina Faso since August 2020.

Leaders of the regional ECOWAS bloc last month told the juntas in Guinea and Burkina Faso they had until

April 25 to explain how and when they would hand back power to civilians or face immediate sanctions.

When asked about the deadline in a radio interview yesterday, Guinea’s government spokesman said: “Guinea’s reality will prevail over all other imperatives.”

“We are going to evolve, taking into account the context… and specific situation of our country, towards exiting the transition,” Ousmane Gaoual Diallo told local radio station FIM FM.

ECOWAS – the Economic Community of West African States – did not immediately reply to a request for comment on how and when sanctions will be imposed on Burkina Faso and Guinea if they did not meet the April 25 deadline.

Guinea’s National Transition Council has yet to set a date for elections after the September ousting of President Alpha Conde.

Burkina Faso’s military government, in power since a January putsch, has said it needs three years to restore constitutional rule, citing security concerns caused by Islamist insurgents wreaking havoc in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Burkina Faso’s junta spokesman Lionel Bilgo said on Sunday evening that restoring peace and security remained a pre-requisite for constitutional rule.

Meanwhile, 15 soldiers and six civilians were killed on Sunday in attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso, neighbouring West African countries struggling with deadly jihadist insurgencies, military and security sources said.

Suicide bombers drove cars packed with explosives into three military camps in central Mali before dawn, the military said in a statement.

– REUTERS.