We think the world owes the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) a debt of gratitude for its swift, proactive, spirited and absolutely effective diffusion of a ticking time bomb in Burkina Faso. Its efforts are commendable. For the second time in less than 12 months, the regional group has prevented dangerous political situations from spiraling into a civil war.
We thank the head of state of Senegal, Macky Sally, and Benin’s President, Boni Yayi, who served as the arrowhead of the initiative. They left domestic affairs of state and spent some days in the Burkinabe capital, Ougadougou, calming the frayed nerves of coup plotters and their restive opponents.
We thank Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari for speaking up when it mattered and for giving the regional authority of heads of states and government all the necessary support, and sending Vice President Yemi Osibajo to join the effort to restore order in Burkina Faso.
The presidents and heads of state of Ghana, Mali, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Niger, and Guinea deserve praise for their efforts. We commend the president of the ECOWAS commission for being alive to his duties. We also thank French President Francois Hollande for speaking up and providing sanctuary for the Interim President.
The Burkinabe Army, indeed, exercised commendable restraint and the Interim President, Michel Kafando, deserves praise for his forbearance. We commend the African Union, the UN Secretary-General and the international community at large for restating the principles of democracy and standing by them.
Those who would underrate these efforts need only look at places like Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Life is hard enough in an atmosphere of peace. A civil war turns life into hell.
Africa should forgive General Gilbert Diendere, the head of the presidential guard, who led the coup d’etat in the Burkina Faso last week, but had the good sense and, above all, the courage to confess he was wrong, and apologise to his countrymen and women on television.
Burkina Faso citizens are probably the most democratically advanced in Africa. They gave Africa its first ‘Black Spring’ on October 30, 2014, when they forced a dictator to flee. They have now turned the tide against the power grab by a presidential guard armed to the teeth. This is nothing short of heroic and Africa owes the Burkinabes a debt for showing how to protect and advance the cause of democracy.
We urge the Burkinabes to accept wholeheartedly the terms of settlement as proposed by the ECOWAS mediation committee. We think it is probably human that they would want some of their countrymen and women who played negative roles in the crisis to be punished. But, they should realise that vengeance never produces lasting peace as history has shown times without number. Even worse is the policy of exclusion.
Let us not forget the origin of the present crisis which arose because a much loved president, Blaise Campaore, after more than 27 years in power, took his people, the Burkinabes, for granted. His personal ambitions became superior to the prescriptions of the country’s constitution and the spirited objections of a vast majority of his people.
He ignored all reasonable appeals, spurned all proposed compromises until despair turned peaceful protesters into a mob which eventually burned down the parliament buildings. It was only then that Campaore got the message. ECOWAS leaders led by Nigeria’s then president, Goodluck Jonathan, quickly arrived Ougadougou to douse the flames and set up the interim government which was ousted last week on the pretext that the forthcoming elections had precluded some people.
It is absolutely imperative, therefore, that a truly democratic Burkina Faso must permit all qualified persons to contest in the elections. None should be barred by reason of his or her previous association unless found guilty of a criminal offence.
We have stated for the umpteenth time that the military should end the criminal attempts to overthrow African governments by force. There is no record in 60 years of post-colonial Africa where a coup d’etat has had a beneficial effect on a country. On the contrary, coups have led to retrogression, violence, strife, war and corruption. Nigeria is a resounding example.
We have always upheld the right of military men and women to join the political competition. That right is fundamental and must always be respected. The Burkinabe presidential guard, after four coup attempts, has caused the country more than enough trouble. It ought to be re-absorbed into the Burkinabe Army and retrained.
Poor governance, corruption and nepotism are not sufficient reasons to attempt to overthrow a democratic government by force. The beauty of democracy is not that it is the best form of government. It is that it offers definite opportunities for periodic change of leaders. The maturity of a polity is judged by its patience to let the rule of law take its course on issues of governance.
from The Sun News http://ift.tt/1MQDd4j
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