Burkina Faso Coup Leader Hands Command Back To Deposed President – Why Did The General Relent Despite Successfully Seizing Power?

A military coup in Burkina Faso ended with the leader handing back charge to the deposed president.

An armed standoff in Burkina Faso, orchestrated by Gen. Gilbert Diendéré, ended rather meekly, with the leader handing back charge of the landlocked country in Africa to the deposed civilian leader and interim President Michel Kafando. The ceremony recognizing the return of the ousted leader took place in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The military coup was carried out by the presidential guard, which is loyal to Blaise Compaore, the country’s long-time ruler. Compaore was ousted in an uprising last year, sparking a rising dissent against amongst a small but dedicated faction.

Interestingly, the coup in Burkina Faso ended so tamely primarily because of six West African leaders who helped mediate an end to the crisis before it turned bloody, reported BBC News. The coup’s leader chose to greet the leaders who had arrived in Burkina Faso to ensure the change of power went off without a hitch. Though Gen. Diendere greeted arriving African leaders at the airport, he chose to skip the official handover ceremony.

Why did the coup in Burkina Faso end? While the presidential guard wasn’t in favor of the current leader, the region’s population wasn’t ready for a coup. There was widespread angst, and riots broke out in the minuscule country.

While the presidential guard attempted to take over the palace, thousands of soldiers belonging to the military surrounded the palace and threatened to force their way in if the forceful occupation didn’t end, reported the Wall Street Journal. Instead of a bloody confrontation, which would undoubtedly ended in the massacre of the renegade presidential guard, the West African leaders flew in and asked the leader of the coup to stand aside and let the ousted government resume.

Despite the amicable surrender, reports indicate about 10 people died in the failed coup and about 100 were injured in the clashes.

The coup in Burkina Faso may have ended, but the issues still smolder. Apparently, the presidential guard was unhappy to have been integrated into the regular army. Additionally, the previously ousted party leader has been banned from contesting the next election.

It is quite evident that coup leader Gen. Gilbert Diendéré isn’t happy with the outcome and has openly stated that he takes complete responsibility for the actions that led to “waste of time and resources” in which “human lives were lost.” He added that he was “not afraid to face justice.”

Though the coup in Burkina Faso has been momentarily snubbed out, the core issues still remain. It isn’t clear how the administration plans to address them.

[Image Credit | Sia Kambou, Iossuf Sanogo / Getty Images]