Kaboré’s troubles started on Sunday when soldiers seized several military bases in the capital and at least two towns in the provinces.
But the soldiers kept control of the bases and, after demanding sweeping reforms to the campaign against the Islamist militants — including the removal of Burkina Faso’s military chief — they moved against the president himself.Kaboré never had a strong interest in military matters, and his fate was sealed by a growing public perception that he was incapable of defeating the Islamist militant threat, said Rinaldo Depagne, an expert on Burkina Faso at the International Crisis Group.
The United States has poured millions of dollars into training and equipping the military in Burkina Faso to fight insurgents — in 2016 supplying what amounted to about two-thirds of Burkina Faso’s defense budget — with few results to show for it.The new leader, Colonel Damiba, is not well known to most in Burkina Faso.Two months ago, Colonel Damiba was named to command one of Burkina Faso’s three military regions — a promotion that coincided with growing disgruntlement inside the ranks.envoy warned of a possible coup in Burkina Faso, and last week the authorities arrested another officer accused of planning a takeover.
Damiba, no relation to the coup leader, described the president as the author of his own misfortune.
After Blaise Compaore, Burkina Faso’s leader of 27 years, was overthrown in 2014, the military “said that everything would change,” he noted