US condemns rising violence in Burkina Faso: State Dept
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Supporters of Burkina Faso's junta hold a banner with a picture of Captain Ibrahim Traore while attending a rally to mark the one-year anniversary of the coup that brought Traore to power in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso September 29, 2023.REUTERS/ Yempabou Ouoba
WASHINGTON - The United States is concerned about human rights in Burkina Faso and condemns the "violence committed by terrorist groups against civilians, military, and police" in the West African country, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.
"The United States is concerned about the actions by Burkina Faso's Transition Authorities, such as the growing use of targeted forced conscriptions, shrinking civic space, and restrictions on political parties," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
In January 2022, Burkina Faso's army ousted President Roch Kabore, blaming him for failing to contain violence by Islamist militants. Coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba pledged to restore security, but attacks worsened, eroding morale in the armed forces that led to a second coup in September 2022 when current junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power. REUTERS
