ECOWAS had asked Burkina Faso on Wednesday to provide a reasonable timetable for the return of civilians to power. Ouagadougou wanted more time and the Minister of Foreign Affairs explained this to the press on Thursday morning.
Burkina Faso, according to its Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba, wants a purely technical team, composed of military personnel, to go to the field to take the real measure of the security situation. In addition, a political team must work on an acceptable timetable requested by ECOWAS.
“We are not able to give content to this notion of acceptability or non-acceptability of the timetable, so together we should draw up the broad lines of what is acceptable or not,” said Olivia Rouamba.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, some Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States have noted and highly appreciated this approach, which is part of a dynamic of collaboration and cooperation in order to find a happy and favorable outcome for the Burkinabe people.
“Taken individually, some Heads of State do not want Burkina Faso to suffer the same fate as certain States,” said the head of Burkina Faso’s diplomacy, without naming the countries concerned.
Proof that ECOWAS is on the ground to help the country, it has just announced the dispatch of 10,000 tons of food to deal with the humanitarian crisis. And the Chief of Staff of the Burkinabe army has been authorized to take part in meetings and military operations organized by ECOWAS in the subregion, despite Burkina Faso’s suspension.