On Monday 24 January, the foreign ministers of the EU27 discussed the worrying political situation in Burkina Faso, where the president, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, has been arrested and is being held by rebels.
“We are following the development of the situation with great concern”, said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. He said he had spoken the previous day with the Burkinabe foreign minister, at which time “the situation seemed to be under control”. “But the news today is much worse”, he lamented.
He called for “respect for the constitutional order and the release of President Kaboré”.
In the face of “reports of threats against President Kaboré by elements of the armed forces”, the European Union reiterates its commitment to respect for republican institutions and constitutional order, stressed a statement issued by Mr Borrell on behalf of the EU27 on Monday.
The EU also calls on the security and defence forces to remain faithful to their primary missions of protecting the population and defending the territory, by asserting their claims in a non-violent manner, the High Representative stresses.
The African Union on the same day strongly condemned “the attempted coup”, calling on the army to guarantee the physical integrity of the Burkinabe president. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)