Burkina Faso in lull following coup, violent protests

DOUALA, Cameroon

Calm has prevailed since Monday morning, the first day of the new school year in Burkina Faso, after three tense days following a coup, witnesses told Anadolu Agency.

Several Burkinabe reported on Monday morning that there was a lull across the country.

"Everything is calm in the city center, I haven't seen any soldiers in the streets since the morning, the new school year has started for everyone and all services, both public and private, are operational," said Seraphin Sawadogo, a resident living in the capital Ouagadougou.

This came after three days of tension and confusion punctuated by a conflict between leaders of the junta. The West African country's military staged a coup on Friday against their former leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had been in charge of the transition since the January coup.

They appointed Capt. Ibrahim Traore as their new leader, blaming his successor for his rapprochement with foreign forces against his country and for failing to pursue the objectives of the transition.

The people supporting these facts have been leading demonstrations for three days demanding Damiba's departure and vandalizing French installations, which they accuse of supporting him.

"The atmosphere is different this Monday. There are no demonstrations in the streets, the military are in the barracks. Most of the services have resumed, as well as schools and shops," Noufou Kindo, a Burkinabe journalist, told Anadolu Agency.

Emilie Kyedrebeogo, an entrepreneur based in Ouagadougou, also opened her shop selling health products on Monday.

"Everything is fine here now. Everything is back to normal. It's as if nothing had happened. Transport and services are working so it's fine," she said.

Safi Kaba, her employee, noted that "there were no soldiers on the streets" when she went to work.

"People are going about their business," she said.

Thomas Ouadraogo, a cyber security expert and webmaster based in the capital, made the same observation, noting however that "NGO staff are teleworking until they are 100% reassured."

For him "everything is almost back to normal."

The last two coups in the country were carried out in a context of public frustration with the insecurity linked to terrorism.

Some 4,148 educational structures were closed because of insecurity, depriving 685,935 children of their right to education, according to the country's Education Ministry.

The new military leadership aims to restore the integrity of their country. Traore, the head of the junta, is now in charge of the country, pending the appointment of a president.

He instructed the secretaries general of the ministerial departments with whom he met on Sunday to deal with urgent matters.

Damiba, the deposed leader, has not made any appearance since his overthrow. However, according to religious and community mediators, he has agreed to resign under several conditions.

He is fleeing to Togo, according to unofficial reports.