Vive l'esprit de Thomas Sankara!

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/10/burkina-faso-set-ablaze/382129/

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, is the scene of mass protests, flames, and tear gas after citizens organized in the capital to show their disdain for President Blaise Compaore. Compaore has been the leader of his country for the last 27 years and despite this lengthy reign, parliament is considering a constitutional amendment in order to lift the term limits that prohibit him from running for office or holding the presidency in 2015. The vote on the amendment has been suspended temporarily, but the citizens of Burkina Faso have already taken matters into their own hands, setting both city hall and the ruling party headquarters on fire.

Compaore first became president in 1987 through a coup and has been reelected four times since. However, all of the elections have been disputed. The United States, France, and European Union "have called on him to scrap the proposed constitutional amendment," the BBC reported. The United States and France are close allies with Burkina Faso and have established military bases in the region to combat Islamic terrorism in the greater Sahel area of Africa. The allies believe changing the constitution "could jeopardise Burkina Faso's stability." As Al Jazeera notes, Burkina Faso has been "typically known for relative stability and economic growth in a volatile region."

While western powers hope to calm the situation, protesters believe enough is enough. Emile Pargui, an official of the opposition organization Movement of People for Progress, told AFP, "October 30 is Burkina Faso's Black Spring, like the Arab Spring." Activists have called for a continued campaign of civil disobedience until Compaore steps down, according to the BBC.

The military clashed with protesters who attempted to take over parliament buildings, dispersing the crowd with tear gas fired from a helicopter, though the protesters eventually succeeded. AFP reporters on the ground found, "About 1,500 people managed to break through the security cordon and ransacked parliamentary offices, set fire to documents, stole computer equipment, and set fire to cars outside." State television has gone off the air as a result.

From here, the protesters have vowed to keep fighting and plan to march into other government buildings.

>The United States, France, and European
>Union "have called on him to scrap the proposed constitutional
>amendment," the BBC reported. The United States and France are
>close allies with Burkina Faso and have established military
>bases in the region to combat Islamic terrorism in the greater
>Sahel area of Africa. The allies believe changing the
>constitution "could jeopardise Burkina Faso's stability."

Don't those sentences contradict each other?

█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

"Scrap amendment" = make no changes to current constitution

"Changing the constitution could jeopardise Burkina Faso's stability" = make no changes to the current constitution.

Or have I missed the point entirely? (quite possible)

_______________________________

))<>((
forever.

>"Scrap amendment" = make no changes to current constitution
>
>"Changing the constitution could jeopardise Burkina Faso's
>stability" = make no changes to the current constitution.
>
>Or have I missed the point entirely? (quite possible)

It seems like they are against changing the constitution which would allow the pres to stay in office. Yet the area has been stable so I thought they were saying changing the presidency could make it instable, but i guess they see the unrest around not changing it as being unstable. Which can only mean they've got a replacement in mind.


█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/31/burkina-faso-president-blaise-compaore-ousted-says-army

Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaoré resigns after street protests

Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaoré, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, has been swept from power after 27 years by a violent popular uprising.

Compaoré announced his resignation on Friday as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protest at plans to extend his rule. The head of the armed forces, General Honore Traore, said he had taken charge of the west African nation.

Like so many strongmen before him, Compaoré was forced to abandon the luxurious trappings of the presidential palace and flee for safety as his regime collapsed. A heavily armed convoy believed to be carrying the 63-year-old was seen travelling on Friday towards the southern town of Po, near the border with Ghana, according to sources quoted by Reuters. It was not clear whether he would seek asylum.

Lieutenant-Colonel Issaac Zida of the presidential guard had earlier announced Compaore’s departure in the central Place de la Nation in the capital, Ouagadougou, to cheering from a huge crowd of protesters.

Outside the army headquarters, colonel Boureima Farta, hoisted on the shoulders of other officers, declared: “As of today, Compaoré is no longer in power.”

It was a defining moment for the country’s young population, many of whom were not born when Compaoré came to power in a 1987 coup in which Thomas Sankara, his former friend and one of Africa’s most revered leaders, was ousted and assassinated.

Compaoré issued a statement on Friday that said: “In order to preserve the democratic gains, as well as social peace … I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should finish with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days.”

The announcement, read out on state television, was a sudden change from Thursday when Compaoré vowed to hold on to power through next year, after protesters stormed parliament and other official buildings, ransacking them and setting them on fire.

Opposition leaders gave the death toll from Thursday’s violence as “around 30”. Agence France-Presse was only able to confirm four deaths and six seriously injured, based partly on reports from the capital’s main hospital.

For months, an opposition coalition has been urging Compaoré not to seek re-election next year, in what would have been his fifth term in power. But Compaoré and his ruling party looked set to push a bill through parliament on Thursday that would have allowed him to run again.

Protesters overran the parliament, the vote was suspended and the military announced the legislature had been dissolved and a transition government would be formed. Compaoré said that he would lead the government until new elections next year.

But demonstrators rejected that plan and gathered again on Friday, demanding that Compaoré step down immediately.

Compaoré was a close ally of the US and France but was also notoriously close to Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader, and ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor, found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.

He had become a regional power-broker, serving as a key mediator in the Ivory Coast peace process and moves to restore civilian rule in Guinea.



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Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaoré resigns after street protests
Compaoré swept from power after 27 years following popular uprising against plans to extend his rule

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David Smith, Africa correspondent
The Guardian, Friday 31 October 2014 15.04 GMT
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Blaise Compaore Blaise Compaoré, who has resigned as president of Burkina Faso after protests against a planned vote to alter the constitution. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaoré, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, has been swept from power after 27 years by a violent popular uprising.

Compaoré announced his resignation on Friday as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protest at plans to extend his rule. The head of the armed forces, General Honore Traore, said he had taken charge of the west African nation.

Like so many strongmen before him, Compaoré was forced to abandon the luxurious trappings of the presidential palace and flee for safety as his regime collapsed. A heavily armed convoy believed to be carrying the 63-year-old was seen travelling on Friday towards the southern town of Po, near the border with Ghana, according to sources quoted by Reuters. It was not clear whether he would seek asylum.

Lieutenant-Colonel Issaac Zida of the presidential guard had earlier announced Compaore’s departure in the central Place de la Nation in the capital, Ouagadougou, to cheering from a huge crowd of protesters.

Outside the army headquarters, colonel Boureima Farta, hoisted on the shoulders of other officers, declared: “As of today, Compaoré is no longer in power.”

It was a defining moment for the country’s young population, many of whom were not born when Compaoré came to power in a 1987 coup in which Thomas Sankara, his former friend and one of Africa’s most revered leaders, was ousted and assassinated.

Compaoré issued a statement on Friday that said: “In order to preserve the democratic gains, as well as social peace … I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should finish with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days.”
A car burns outside the parliament building in Burkina Faso A car burns outside the parliament building in Burkina Faso on Thursday during anti-Compaoré protests. Photograph: Theo Renaut/AP

The announcement, read out on state television, was a sudden change from Thursday when Compaoré vowed to hold on to power through next year, after protesters stormed parliament and other official buildings, ransacking them and setting them on fire.

Opposition leaders gave the death toll from Thursday’s violence as “around 30”. Agence France-Presse was only able to confirm four deaths and six seriously injured, based partly on reports from the capital’s main hospital.

For months, an opposition coalition has been urging Compaoré not to seek re-election next year, in what would have been his fifth term in power. But Compaoré and his ruling party looked set to push a bill through parliament on Thursday that would have allowed him to run again.

Protesters overran the parliament, the vote was suspended and the military announced the legislature had been dissolved and a transition government would be formed. Compaoré said that he would lead the government until new elections next year.

But demonstrators rejected that plan and gathered again on Friday, demanding that Compaoré step down immediately.

Compaoré was a close ally of the US and France but was also notoriously close to Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader, and ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor, found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.

He had become a regional power-broker, serving as a key mediator in the Ivory Coast peace process and moves to restore civilian rule in Guinea.

The European Union called for the people of Burkina Faso to have the final say in who governs the west African country. A spokesman said: “The European Union believes that it is up to the people of Burkina Faso to decide their own future. Any solution must be the result of a broad consensus and respect the constitution.”

The EU was “working with all actors on the ground to find a solution” and consulting with international partners over the crisis. “We are ready to work with the people of Burkina Faso to ensure a return to normality, including the organisation of elections,” it said.

France welcomed Compaoré’s resignation, saying the move “allows a solution to be found to the crisis”.

“France recalls its support for the constitution and thus for early, democratic elections,” President François Hollande’s office said in a statement.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country with a population of 16.9 million and ranks near the bottom of the UN’s human development index. Nearly half the population lives on less than one dollar a day.

Other long-serving African leaders include Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Paul Biya of Cameroon and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.

https://banafrit.com/
http://middlebrainmedia.com/

for that matter.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

Blaise came to power and stayed in power for so long due to the support of the French....he was Jacques Foccarts boy

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

1. The real reason he left was because he lost control of the military.
Armies take over governments in Africa all the time. How fast they hand over power will determine their true intentions and commitment to fair governance.

2. I dont want it to turn out like Libya.

>Vive l'esprit de Thomas Sankara!
>
>http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/10/burkina-faso-set-ablaze/382129/
>
>Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, is the scene of mass protests,
>flames, and tear gas after citizens organized in the capital
>to show their disdain for President Blaise Compaore. Compaore
>has been the leader of his country for the last 27 years and
>despite this lengthy reign, parliament is considering a
>constitutional amendment in order to lift the term limits that
>prohibit him from running for office or holding the presidency
>in 2015. The vote on the amendment has been suspended
>temporarily, but the citizens of Burkina Faso have already
>taken matters into their own hands, setting both city hall and
>the ruling party headquarters on fire.
>
>Compaore first became president in 1987 through a coup and has
>been reelected four times since. However, all of the elections
>have been disputed. The United States, France, and European
>Union "have called on him to scrap the proposed constitutional
>amendment," the BBC reported. The United States and France are
>close allies with Burkina Faso and have established military
>bases in the region to combat Islamic terrorism in the greater
>Sahel area of Africa. The allies believe changing the
>constitution "could jeopardise Burkina Faso's stability." As
>Al Jazeera notes, Burkina Faso has been "typically known for
>relative stability and economic growth in a volatile region."
>
>While western powers hope to calm the situation, protesters
>believe enough is enough. Emile Pargui, an official of the
>opposition organization Movement of People for Progress, told
>AFP, "October 30 is Burkina Faso's Black Spring, like the Arab
>Spring." Activists have called for a continued campaign of
>civil disobedience until Compaore steps down, according to the
>BBC.
>
>The military clashed with protesters who attempted to take
>over parliament buildings, dispersing the crowd with tear gas
>fired from a helicopter, though the protesters eventually
>succeeded. AFP reporters on the ground found, "About 1,500
>people managed to break through the security cordon and
>ransacked parliamentary offices, set fire to documents, stole
>computer equipment, and set fire to cars outside." State
>television has gone off the air as a result.
>
>From here, the protesters have vowed to keep fighting and plan
>to march into other government buildings.


but im banned tho.
____________

Dallas Cavericks LETS GO!!

An excerpt from AllAfrica.com which gives little insight into Blaise's overthrow of Sankara and the complicity of the French:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201310251689.html

"By 1987 Sankara was an embarrassment whose popular campaign against neo-colonialism was a threat to less radical West African presidents and to France's position in Africa. The plot against him was orchestrated by his former deputy, Blaise Compaoré (now president), with the probable support of France, Ivory Coast and Libya. According to Jeune Afrique (2 June 1988), which published the writing of Jacques Foccart (1), 'number two in a revolution in which he no longer believed... Blaise met his French counterpart Jacques Chirac, then prime minister, through the offices of the president of Ivory Coast, Felix Houphouët-Boigny, and Jacques Foccart, who introduced him to the general staff of the French right, especially Charles Pasqua.'

François Xavier Verschave claims: 'Muammar Gadafy and Françafrique (2) had more and more causes in common, cemented by anti-Americanism and enlightened self-interest. The elimination of Sankara was probably the founding rite in their alliance. In 1987 Foccart and the people round Gadafy agreed to replace the exasperatingly honest and independent leader by the infinitely more amenable Blaise Compaoré.' (3).

Sankara was killed on 15 October 1987. Compaoré succeeded him and became a faithful executor of neo-liberal doctrine and Houphouët-Boigny's successor as France's closest ally in the region. His strategic role in the Françafrique system is shown by the recent establishment of the Franco-Burkinabe Friendship Society with Guy Penne as chairman. It includes Michel Roussin, formerly of the French secret service, a member of the Medef, the national organisation of French business enterprises. Roussin was minister for cooperation under Edouard Balladur in 1993 and his successors in that post are also part of the Society - Jacques Godfrain, a former close associate of Foccart; Pierre-André Wiltzer, a member of the Union for French Democracy; and the Socialist Charles Josselin.

Compaoré's takeover as president had consequences beyond Burkina Faso's borders. The emerging Françafrique alliance drew in politicians, military leaders and entrepreneurs from Ivory Coast, France, Libya and Burkina Faso. It supported Charles Taylor, now being tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. Compaoré is portrayed as a man of peace who is sponsoring reconciliation between the warring factions"

An army general and a colonel have both announced they will lead a transition to democracy after Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore was pushed out by street protests, ending a 27-year reign.

Colonel Yacouba Zida said in a recorded address posted early on Saturday on the website of a national television station that he was filling the vacuum.

"While we wait to define in a consensual manner, with all of the political parties and civil society organisations, the contours and composition of this peaceful democratic transition," Zida said. "I will henceforth assume, from today, the responsibilities of the head of this transition and the head of state."

The announcement came just hours after General Honore Traore, the joint chief of staff, and Compaore loyalist, made the same declaration.

Full story here:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/11/rival-officers-claim-power-burkina-faso-20141115311925399.html

Anyway,next thing they need to do is move far away from CFA ideology as possible

)))--####---###--(((

bunda
<-.-> ^_^ \^0^/
get busy living, or get busy dying.

http://www.france24.com/en/20141030-blaise-compaore-african-peacemaker-burkina-faso-charles-taylor/

Do you think the new folks in power will try to reach out and have diplomatic ties with China rather than Taiwan?

Will the new people in power recognize Thomas Sankara?

http://qz.com/305056/how-burkina-faso-rediscovered-a-revolutionary-hero-and-overthrew-a-dictator/

http://www.voanews.com/content/article/2548715.html