The president of the transitional government in Burkina Faso facing his compatriots on Sunday for an assessment of his rule since taking over after January’s coup praised the supposed progress made by his government in the past seven months.
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba did not beat about the bush while identifying the causes of insecurity that has settled over much of Burkina Faso for nearly a decade.
“The evil that is eating away at us is the result of several years of political compromise, social contradictions and amalgams of all kinds, which have ended up dealing a fatal blow to the delicate balance that our predecessors had managed to find, to allow the different communities to live together despite their differences,” he observed in a speech delivered from the town of Dori, an area of the north-east plagued by jihadist violence.
According to the Burkinabe caretaker president, the failure is collective.
“Starting with us, the defence and security force, responsible for defending our territory and protecting our people,” he admitted, noting that “internal divisions have weakened us, to the point of calling into question the values for which the Burkinabe soldier is renowned.”
For Damiba “this is very logically reflected in our commitment and our way of waging the war against terrorism.”
He acknowledged that “some of our actions have unfortunately contributed more to fanning the flames than to putting them out.”
Speaking to his people, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Damiba also addressed the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP), the army’s deputies in the fight against jihadist groups, “who, despite their bravery, have sometimes been used or manipulated for revenge at the community level.”
After his diagnosis, President Damiba praised the work of the Burkinabe army.
“During these five months, our forces have been remobilised…the intensification of offensive actions, often carried out in coordination with the VDP, aimed above all at disorganising the enemy’s system. From a purely operational point of view, this objective has been achieved,” he said.
According to him, this success is partly due to “the acquisition of new equipment and the strengthening of our technical capabilities” which allow the army “to deliver fire with a precision and an effect of surprise that we did not have before.”
According to the head of state, these military operations are not in contradiction with the dialogue with the jihadist groups.
“In view of the results we have already achieved, it appears that this initiative to reach out to our brothers is very promising,” the Burkinabe head of state added.
In this context, he invited “fighters from armed groups who are still reluctant to lay down their arms, to trust the state and follow the example of their comrades who had the courage to take the step.”
In conclusion, the Burkina Faso leader set up a new date with the population “at the beginning of 2023 to review the reclaiming of our country.”
AC/cgd/lb/as/APA